Crash Boat • Statistics for September

September: Early Swell Signals Return

September is a transition month where the ocean starts to stir again. Average swell height nudges up to 1.1m (3.5ft) and the period stretches to 9.1s - the first noticeable improvement in wave quality since spring. The swell direction is a bit more mixed, with NE at 34.2%, ENE at 33.6% and NNE at 12.7%. There is also a slight bump in southern-sourced waves, with small percentages from SSE, S, and SSW beginning to appear. These longer-period pulses can be the first taste of the winter season, and even modest 1-1.5m groundswell from the south can make Crash Boat light up.

Winds stay friendly: ENE 32.4%, E 26.8%, NE 10.1%, giving the month a 65% ideal-wind rating. Average air temperature remains high at 27.8°C and water is still warm at 29.3°C. The increased rainfall (5.74 mm/day) signals the onset of the wet season and more tropical influences. September is a good month to start watching the charts again - the trade wind slop is slowly replaced by more organised swell, and the occasional tropical system can produce excellent conditions.