Daytona Beach • Statistics for August

August: Signals of Life from the Tropics

August remains firmly in the low season, but there are first signs of tropical energy stirring. Average swell height creeps back up to 1.6ft (0.5m), period is 8.2s, and ideal wind is 8%. The wave direction chart still has ESE at 42.6% and E at 28.7%, but the NE and ENE quadrants are a little more active than July, combining for just under 17% of the total energy. The 1.6-3.3ft (0.5-1m) class from E and ENE is a bit more present, and any Atlantic tropical cyclone that tracks through the Bahamas can quickly turn this month exciting.

Winds are still mostly E/ESE/SE trade flow, with SSW and SW totals around 19%. The combined offshore/sideshore wind is not translating to quality because the swell source is weak. Still, August is the start of hurricane season awareness, and a well-positioned storm can send 3-6ft (0.9-1.8m) of E/NE groundswell into Daytona with the right west winds behind it. Water temp hits 28.1°C, air 27.2°C, and daily downpours (5.86mm/day) are an almost expected part of the summer routine.