Wishing Well • Statistics for October

October: Autumn Swell Rebuild and Clean Conditions

October is where the surf year at Wishing Well begins to turn. The average period moves back to a solid 10.0 seconds and average height rises to 4ft (1.2m). The swell distribution is still dominated by NE at 44 percent, with NNE at 22 percent and ENE at 19 percent, but these autumn pulses are increasingly generated by extratropical storms and frontal systems rather than pure trades. 50 percent of waves are 1-1.5m (3-5ft), 12 percent are 1.5-2m (5-6.5ft), and the 2m-plus class starts to appear again. More importantly for Wishing Well, October has the highest ideal wind percentage of the year at 69 percent, tied with September; the trade winds are lighter, the sea breeze is weaker, and the surface often stays glassy. ENE/E winds still dominate but with a growing ESE/SE component. Air temperature averages 27.4°C (24-32°C), water temperature is a warm 29.1°C, and precipitation remains high at 5.0mm/day. It may not be the biggest month, but the combination of improving swell period, wrapping NE energy, and clean offshore winds makes October a genuine sweet spot.