Data

The best time to surf each spot, month by month

Guidebooks give a surf spot a season. We scored 114 of them month by month against years of wave hindcast. 56 of the 100 with a season peak for three months or less.

By Kody Parsons· Updated 2 October 2026· 7 min read·

114breaks scoredtwelve months each

56peak for three months or lessof the 100 with a season at all

14have no season at allevery month at least half as good as the best

20have no month worth avoidingsurfable all year, just better in season

How this is measured

We score every day of hindcast at each break and keep its best session. A day that scores 6 out of 10 or better is a great day. A month's rank is how often great days come, because that is what a trip is betting on. Each month also carries how big the face runs and how many days are worth paddling out.

Every score is relative to that spot's own best month. A fickle beach break is measured against itself, not against Pipeline. "Good" means good for there.

These numbers come from years of hindcast, not a forecast. They tell you when to plan a trip. They do not promise waves on a given day, and they never will.

The season is narrower than you think

Most breaks do not get four peak months. The best stretch is the longest unbroken run of months with nearly as many great days as the spot's best (within 13%, on a three-month average so one lucky year cannot make a season), and it is usually short.

56 of the 100 breaks with a season peak for three months or less, and 8 peak in a single month. Each bar below counts the breaks whose best stretch runs that many months.

81 mo

242 mo

243 mo

94 mo

135 mo

126 mo

57 mo

48 mo

19 mo

010 mo

011 mo

012 mo

A guidebook says a spot works March to November, and it is surfable across that range. But you have one week of leave. The range is not the answer. The peak is.

There is no global surf season

Across the 100 breaks with a season, the strongest month lands on every month of the year. 46 peak between November and March and 54 between April and October. Tap a month for the breaks at their best in it.

15Jan

10Feb

6Mar

8Apr

11May

3Jun

4Jul

11Aug

7Sep

10Oct

10Nov

5Dec

Whatever month you can get off work, somewhere in this set is at its best. The question is not when to go. It is where to go for the week you already have, and the month pages answer that one.

Four shapes a year comes in

Plot the twelve months for all 114 breaks and four shapes keep coming back: 27 narrow peaks, 62 long seasons, 14 flat years and 11 scattered bands. Each one changes how you book.

Peaks in Apr. 7 of the twelve months are worth avoiding outright.

Good for nine straight months, Mar–Nov, with a clear off season behind it.

Twelve months inside 10% of each other. There is no season to miss.

Strong months

The narrow peak

One or two months carry the year. Build the trip around the peak. A month early is a different holiday.

The long season

A broad run of good months, a clear off season behind it. Pick any month inside the run and let the airfare decide.

The flat year

No season at all: every month at least half as good as the best. Nothing to miss, nothing to chase. The only question is the price of the flight.

The scattered band

The strong months do not touch, usually because two swell sources take turns. No single date range can describe these, so read the full year on the spot's own page.

Water decides as much as swell

A season table says when the waves are good, not what you are wearing. On many coasts the wetsuit is the bigger constraint, so we backfilled monthly sea temperature for every spot.

59 of the 97 breaks with sea temperature on file need more than one wetsuit across the year. 38 wear the same thing in every month. The ten biggest annual swings:

Break	Where	Water	Swing	Coldest month to warmest
1st Street Jetty, Virginia Beach	Virginia, USA	7–27 C	19 C	hooded 5/4 + gloves → boardshorts
Rockaway Beach	New York, USA	5–24 C	19 C	hooded 5/4 + gloves → boardshorts
The Washout, Folly Beach	South Carolina, USA	12–30 C	18 C	4/3 + boots → boardshorts
Ditch Plains, Montauk	New York, USA	5–22 C	17 C	hooded 5/4 + gloves → spring suit
Wrightsville Beach	North Carolina, USA	12–29 C	17 C	hooded 5/4 → boardshorts
Point Judith (Lighthouse)	Rhode Island, USA	5–21 C	17 C	hooded 5/4 + gloves → spring suit
Cape Hatteras	North Carolina, USA	12–27 C	16 C	hooded 5/4 → boardshorts
New Smyrna Beach (Ponce Inlet)	Florida, USA	17–29 C	13 C	4/3 → boardshorts
Scorpion Bay (San Juanico)	Baja California Sur, Mexico	15–27 C	12 C	4/3 → boardshorts
Côte des Basques	Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France	13–24 C	11 C	4/3 + boots → boardshorts

The biggest swings are where good waves and warm water do not arrive together. A mid-Atlantic beach break fires when you need a hood and goes flat when it is warm. Know that before you book.

Sea temperature here comes from an offshore model grid. It reads a degree or two warm on an upwelling coast, so every wetsuit call on this site errs toward more rubber.

What we do with it

Every spot page on this site is built from these twelve numbers. The app uses the same figures to tell a cheap flight in a good month from a cheap flight in a flat one, and the cheapest good-month trips are built on them.

All 114 breaks

Face height and surfable days are the median across the best stretch. Every row links to that break's own month-by-month page.

Break	Where	Best	Typical face	Surfable days	Water
1st Street Jetty, Virginia Beach	Virginia, USA	Dec	2 ft	41%	7–27 C
Anchor Point, Taghazout	Souss-Massa, Morocco	Nov–Mar	5–6 ft	97%	17–22 C
Arugam Bay (Main Point)	Eastern Province, Sri Lanka	Apr–Nov	3–4 ft	99%	28–31 C
Banzai Pipeline	Oahu, USA	Dec–Jan	8–9 ft	83%	24–27 C
Barra de la Cruz	Oaxaca, Mexico	Mar–Nov	5–6 ft	100%	28–31 C
Batu Bolong, Canggu	Bali, Indonesia	Apr–Oct	4–5 ft	99%	28–30 C
Bells Beach	Victoria, Australia	Apr–Sep	5 ft	89%	13–19 C
Belmar 16th Avenue	New Jersey, USA	Sep–Nov	2–3 ft	68%	not on file
Blacks Beach	Southern California, USA	Dec–Feb	3–4 ft	91%	15–22 C
Bundoran (The Peak)	Donegal, Ireland	Oct–Dec	4–7 ft	76%	8–17 C
C Street	Southern California, USA	Nov–Mar	3–4 ft	96%	14–22 C
Cacimba do Padre	Pernambuco, Brazil	Feb–Mar	4–5 ft	72%	27–29 C
Cape Hatteras	North Carolina, USA	no season	3 ft	29%	12–27 C
Casino Pier, Seaside Heights	New Jersey, USA	Oct–Nov	2–3 ft	69%	not on file
Chicama	La Libertad, Peru	no season	4–6 ft	100%	16–23 C
Cloud 9	Surigao del Norte, Philippines	Jun–Oct	3–4 ft	89%	28–30 C
Cloudbreak	Nadroga-Navosa, Fiji	Apr–Nov	6–7 ft	98%	26–30 C
Cocoa Beach Pier	Florida, USA	Jan	2 ft	48%	not on file
Cokes, Thulusdhoo	North Malé Atoll, Maldives	Jul–Aug	4 ft	99%	28–31 C
Côte des Basques	Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France	Oct–Apr	3–5 ft	77%	13–24 C
Desert Point (Bangko-Bangko)	Lombok, Indonesia	May–Sep	7–8 ft	98%	28–30 C
Ditch Plains, Montauk	New York, USA	Jun–Jul	2 ft	56%	5–22 C
Dominical	Puntarenas, Costa Rica	no season	3–5 ft	100%	28–31 C
Donghe	Taitung, Taiwan	Feb–Apr	3–4 ft	100%	25–30 C
El Cotillo (Piedra Playa)	Canary Islands, Spain	Oct–Feb	4–6 ft	71%	19–23 C
El Sunzal	La Libertad, El Salvador	no season	3–5 ft	98%	29–31 C
Famara	Canary Islands, Spain	Dec–Jan	6 ft	68%	19–22 C
First Point, Noosa Heads	Queensland, Australia	Apr–Aug	2–4 ft	69%	21–27 C
Fistral Beach	Cornwall, United Kingdom	Feb–Apr	4–6 ft	71%	10–17 C
G-Land (Grajagan)	East Java, Indonesia	May–Oct	7–9 ft	97%	23–30 C
Gilgo Beach	New York, USA	Aug	2 ft	59%	not on file
Holyoke, Long Beach Island	New Jersey, USA	Sep–Nov	2–3 ft	71%	not on file
Honolua Bay	Maui, USA	Nov–Jan	4–5 ft	81%	24–27 C
Hossegor (La Graviere)	Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France	Oct–Mar	5–8 ft	90%	13–23 C
Huntington Beach Pier	Southern California, USA	Oct–Feb	3–4 ft	99%	14–22 C
Imsouane (The Bay)	Souss-Massa, Morocco	Oct–Mar	5–7 ft	93%	17–21 C
Itaúna, Saquarema	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	Mar–Jul	4–5 ft	94%	22–25 C
Jacksonville Beach Pier	Florida, USA	Jan–Feb	2 ft	65%	not on file
Jeffreys Bay (Supertubes)	Eastern Cape, South Africa	May–Aug	6 ft	91%	16–22 C
Jennette's Pier, Nags Head	North Carolina, USA	Feb–Mar	3 ft	27%	not on file
La Saladita	Guerrero, Mexico	Mar–Oct	4–6 ft	99%	27–31 C
Lagundri Bay, Nias	North Sumatra, Indonesia	no season	5–8 ft	96%	30 C
Lahinch	County Clare, Ireland	Apr	4 ft	62%	8–17 C
Lakey Peak	West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia	May–Oct	5–6 ft	100%	26–30 C
Lances Right (HTs)	Mentawai, Indonesia	May–Sep	7–8 ft	100%	29–31 C
Lobitos	Piura, Peru	Feb–May	4–6 ft	99%	19–26 C
Long Beach	New York, USA	Aug–Oct	2–3 ft	69%	not on file
Lower Trestles	Southern California, USA	Apr–Oct	4 ft	93%	14–22 C
Malibu First Point	Southern California, USA	Aug–Nov	3 ft	100%	14–22 C
Manasquan Inlet	New Jersey, USA	Oct–Nov	2–3 ft	75%	not on file
Máncora	Piura, Peru	Mar–Oct	4–5 ft	100%	21–27 C
Margaret River (Main Break)	Western Australia, Australia	Feb–Apr	9 ft	94%	18–22 C
Matunuck	Rhode Island, USA	Aug–Oct	2–3 ft	61%	not on file
Mavericks	Northern California, USA	Dec–Jan	9–11 ft	83%	12–16 C
Monmouth Beach	New Jersey, USA	Sep–Nov	2–3 ft	62%	not on file
Montañita	Santa Elena, Ecuador	Feb–Mar	3 ft	98%	24–28 C
Montauk Point (Turtles)	New York, USA	Sep–Oct	3 ft	45%	not on file
Muizenberg	Western Cape, South Africa	no season	4–6 ft	60%	14–18 C
Mundaka	Basque Country, Spain	Oct–Mar	6–8 ft	93%	13–23 C
Narragansett Town Beach	Rhode Island, USA	Sep–Oct	2 ft	71%	not on file
Nazare (Praia do Norte)	Leiria, Portugal	Jan–Feb	12–14 ft	76%	15–18 C
New Pier, Durban	KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa	Apr–Jun	5 ft	92%	21–26 C
New Smyrna Beach (Ponce Inlet)	Florida, USA	Aug	2 ft	69%	17–29 C
Ngor Right	Dakar, Senegal	Oct	4 ft	95%	19–30 C
One Eye, Tamarin	Black River, Mauritius	Aug–Dec	6–8 ft	82%	24–28 C
Pacific City (Cape Kiwanda)	Oregon, USA	Sep–Oct	4–5 ft	88%	10–13 C
Padang Padang	Bali, Indonesia	May–Oct	7–9 ft	96%	28–30 C
Pavones	Puntarenas, Costa Rica	Mar–May	4–6 ft	99%	28–30 C
Piha	Auckland, New Zealand	Jan–Mar	5–6 ft	76%	14–21 C
Playa Cerritos	Baja California Sur, Mexico	Sep–Dec	4 ft	98%	20–30 C
Playa Encuentro, Cabarete	Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic	Oct–Dec	4–5 ft	99%	26–30 C
Playa Guiones	Guanacaste, Costa Rica	no season	3–5 ft	98%	28–31 C
Playa Venao	Los Santos, Panama	no season	3–4 ft	99%	27–29 C
Point Judith (Lighthouse)	Rhode Island, USA	Sep–Oct	3 ft	61%	5–21 C
Popoyo	Rivas, Nicaragua	no season	4–6 ft	97%	26–30 C
Praia de Santa Bárbara	Azores, Portugal	Nov–Jan	4 ft	60%	16–24 C
Praia Mole, Florianopolis	Santa Catarina, Brazil	May–Jun	2 ft	37%	17–28 C
Puerto Escondido (Zicatela)	Oaxaca, Mexico	Apr–Oct	6–7 ft	98%	27–31 C
Punta de Lobos	O'Higgins, Chile	Mar–Aug	6–7 ft	97%	12–16 C
Punta Roca	La Libertad, El Salvador	Apr–Oct	4–5 ft	99%	29–31 C
Raglan (Manu Bay)	Waikato, New Zealand	Jan–Jun	5–7 ft	81%	14–21 C
Reef Road, Palm Beach	Florida, USA	Sep–Oct	3–4 ft	59%	not on file
Ribeira d'Ilhas	Lisbon, Portugal	Dec–Feb	7–8 ft	77%	15–18 C
Rincon (Tres Palmas)	Puerto Rico, USA	Nov–Dec	4–5 ft	95%	27–30 C
Robert Moses Field 5, Fire Island	New York, USA	Aug–Nov	2–3 ft	70%	not on file
Rockaway Beach	New York, USA	Sep–Nov	2–3 ft	72%	5–24 C
Ruggles, Newport	Rhode Island, USA	Sep–Oct	3 ft	54%	not on file
Santa Catalina	Veraguas, Panama	Apr–Jun	4–5 ft	99%	28–30 C
Santa Teresa	Puntarenas, Costa Rica	no season	4–5 ft	100%	28–31 C
Sayulita	Nayarit, Mexico	Jan–Feb	3 ft	100%	24–31 C
Scorpion Bay (San Juanico)	Baja California Sur, Mexico	Apr–Jul	3–4 ft	92%	15–27 C
Sebastian Inlet (First Peak)	Florida, USA	Jan–Mar	2–3 ft	58%	21–30 C
Skeleton Bay	Erongo, Namibia	May–Aug	6–8 ft	100%	14–17 C
Snapper Rocks (Superbank)	Queensland, Australia	May–Jun	3 ft	81%	21–26 C
Somo (Santander)	Cantabria, Spain	no season	3–4 ft	92%	14–22 C
Sopelana (Arrietara)	Basque Country, Spain	no season	3–4 ft	93%	13–22 C
Soup Bowl, Bathsheba	Saint Joseph, Barbados	Dec	4 ft	72%	27–30 C
Steamer Lane	Northern California, USA	Oct–Feb	5–7 ft	99%	12–17 C
Supertubos, Peniche	Leiria, Portugal	Dec–Feb	7–8 ft	73%	15–18 C
Swami's	Southern California, USA	Oct–Mar	3–4 ft	97%	15–22 C
T-Land (Nemberala)	East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia	May–Oct	5–6 ft	99%	27–30 C
Tamarindo	Guanacaste, Costa Rica	no season	4–5 ft	99%	28–30 C
Teahupoo	Tahiti, French Polynesia	Feb–Jun	6–9 ft	85%	27–29 C
The Bowl, Shinnecock Inlet	New York, USA	Aug	3 ft	55%	not on file
The Pass, Byron Bay	New South Wales, Australia	Feb–May	4 ft	81%	20–26 C
The Washout, Folly Beach	South Carolina, USA	Sep–Oct	2 ft	42%	12–30 C
Thurso East	Scotland, United Kingdom	Nov–Dec	6–8 ft	79%	8–14 C
Tonel, Sagres	Algarve, Portugal	Dec–Feb	6–7 ft	76%	16–19 C
Tsurigasaki (Shidashita)	Chiba, Japan	Nov–Jan	3 ft	91%	15–26 C
Uluwatu	Bali, Indonesia	May–Oct	7–8 ft	97%	28–30 C
Weligama	Southern Province, Sri Lanka	Dec–Mar	3 ft	94%	27–30 C
Westport (The Jetty)	Washington, USA	Nov–Mar	6–7 ft	73%	9–15 C
Wrightsville Beach	North Carolina, USA	Sep–Nov	2 ft	55%	12–29 C
Zarautz	Basque Country, Spain	no season	3–4 ft	92%	13–23 C

When is your spot good?

Every break here has its own page: twelve months, the water, and what to wear.

Browse the spots Get the app

Wave figures come from a daily surf score computed from ERA5 and GFS-Wave hindcast at each break, over the seasons available since 2022. Sea temperature is the monthly median of daily sea-surface temperature from the Open-Meteo marine archive, 2023 to 2025. Nothing here is a forecast. All spot pages · Bag sizes against airline limits · More articles