Stone Harbor • Statistics for January

January: Midwinter Offshore Windows

The heart of winter brings the highest average swell of the year to Stone Harbor, but 'high' means 0.7m (2.3ft) with a short-period 6.2s windswell. The swell rose is relatively generous from the SSE (8.0%) and S (9.7%), with E, ESE and SE adding another 18.4%, so your best shot comes from low-pressure systems parked off the Mid-Atlantic or old frontal waves sliding through the Bahamas. WNW and NW swell dominate the raw totals, but much of that is shadowed or locally generated wind sea that never shows up on the sandbars. The good news is that W to NNW winds make up about half the wind distribution, so when a 1-1.5m (3-5ft) pulse lines up with a light W or NW breeze, the beach cleans up fast. Cold water at 4.5°C and air at 2.5°C mean you need a hood, boots and gloves. If you wait for the rare 4% truly clean windows, you'll find punchy, rideable banks; otherwise expect chopped-up, short-interval mush.