Kai's Place • Surf Spot Statistics

Best Surf Season (October - March)

Kai's Place is a west-facing slice of North American coastline that depends entirely on the North Pacific storm machine. When the Aleutian Low spins up hard in the fall, it sends a conveyor belt of long-period, west-southwest to northwest groundswell directly into the beach. Because the offshore wind comes from the east and southeast (ENE, E, ESE and SE), those same winter storms often leave behind clean, groomed lines that are far more workable than the bitter cold and rain suggest. From October through March, average swell heights climb from 2.5m (8ft) to a peak of 3.0m (10ft) in December, with periods consistently in the 11-12s range. The dominant swell sources - WSW, SW and W - match the best part of the exposure window, and ideal east to southeast offshore winds blow 25-30% of the time. This is the pay-off season for serious surfers.

Fair Surf Season (April - May and September)

April is the sweetest shoulder month: average swell at 2.2m (7ft), periods still a healthy 10.8s, and the annual high of 30% ideal wind. May and September are more variable, with size dropping to 1.5-2m (5-6ft) and periods occasionally slipping into the 10s. The storm track is still close enough to feed solid WSW and SW pulses into the beach, but you need to pick your days - often on the dawn patrol before the northwest wind gets up or before the next system moves through. These months reward patience with a mix of clean, rippable waves and the first hints of winter power on the back end of September.

Low Surf Season (June - August)

Summer is the quietest chapter at Kai's Place. The Aleutian Low weakens and high pressure builds over the northeastern Pacific, shoving the storm track to the north. Swell heights drop to 1.3-1.5m (4-5ft), periods shorten to 9.8-10.2s, and the dominant NW/WNW wind regime becomes onshore and cross-shore for the west-facing beach. Ideal wind frequency slides to 23-25%. Expect groveling, small, often bumpy conditions, though the occasional SSE to SE offshore flow in the morning can make the soft southwest swell fun on a longboard. This is the true low season, and in the water it really shows.