Crash Boat • Statistics for October

October: The Switch Is Flicked

October is when the surf year truly kickstarts at Crash Boat. The average period is back to a full 10.0s and the average swell height rises to 1.2m (4ft). The wave rose shows NE dominating at 44.3%, with NNE adding 22.2% and ENE 19.2%. A small but important component from the south and west - SSW and W each approach zero but are now present - offers a hint of what is to come. The combination of long-period Atlantic swell and occasional southern pulses is the best recipe for this west-facing beach, making October one of the more promising fair-to-best months.

Wind is almost always off the beach: ENE 30.9%, E 24.9%, NE 10.4%, with a striking 66% ideal-wind rating. That mix of light offshore flow and longer-period swell sets up some of the cleanest, most rideable waves of the year. Air temperatures are still summer-like at 27.4°C and water sits at 29.1°C. There's a distinct seasonal shift in the air - the Atlantic storm track is awakening, and with it, the first solid groundswell of the season.