Kalapaki Beach • Statistics for April

April: Trade-Wind Full Throttle, South Swell Flickers

By April, the trade-wind machine is roaring: ENE accounts for 44.6% of all wind observations, E another 20.5%, and the average open-ocean swell height dips to 6.9ft (2.1m) with period 10.3s. The wave distribution has shifted away from pure north swells toward ENE (25.0%) and E (16.5%) windswell. The optimal south window for Kalapaki remains small, but it doubles from winter levels: SE/SSE/S/SSW now make up about 1.6% of observations, with a few 3-6.6ft (1-2m) pulses from the southeast and south-southeast.

Offshore N/NNE/NW/NNW winds are scarce at 8.5%, so 27% ideal days usually come from light easterly mornings when the bay is glassy. Air temps warm to 23.2°C (19.4-26.4°C), water is 24.1°C, and rainfall becomes much drier at 1.61 mm/day. You can start to ride small southeast windswell on a longboard, but don't expect the south groundswell to light up until May.