Wishing Well • Statistics for September

September: First Stirrings of Autumn

September is a transition month and one of the cleaner surf months at Wishing Well. Average height is still modest at 3.5-4ft (1.1m), but average period climbs back to 9.1 seconds - a sign that longer-period energy is sneaking back into the mix. Swell direction broadens slightly: NE takes 34 percent, ENE 34 percent, NNE 13 percent, and N 2.5 percent; there is also a subtle increase in south-southeast contributions from tropical systems. The height distribution is dominated by 0.5-1.5m (2-5ft), with 47 percent in the 0.5-1m (2-3ft) class and 41 percent in the 1-1.5m (3-5ft) class, but the longer period gives those waves noticeably more push than July. Winds are clean: ideal wind 68 percent of the time, with E/ENE still strong and light SE/S components increasing. Water temperature peaks at 29.3°C, air 27.8°C (25-33°C), and September is the wettest month on average at 5.7mm/day. This is the month to start watching the Atlantic hurricane database - late-season storms can fire the first true W-facing swells of the year.