California Surf Season Off to Best Start in 15-Years

California and Hawaii have seen the most consistent start to their summer surf season. This data was collected from May through July and boasts crazy results.

California has had the best summer start in 15 years.  Looking at surf data from Orange County, CA and Santa Cruz, CA shows the highest average surf height and most days with swells over 7 feet.

And Hawaii is in the same boat. South and south/west facing beaches have also had the highest average surf height and most days with swells over 7 feet. This recent award has been met with some criticism, however. While this season has not been the biggest and boldest, the consistency is what matters. Think of it as consistent small storms, keeping snow light and fresh, rather than a handful of EPIC powder days.

This is great news, especially considering that surfing is now the state sport of California. These awesome waves are the result of weather on the other side of the world. Strong storms just east of New Zeland are what send waves towards Hawaii and California, and this year has had plenty. The perfect conditions have been present to send over consistent swells.

The biggest waves in Hawaii usually come in the wintertime. For less advanced surfers, something like this summer is perfect: consistent waves but nothing over the top.

It’s no Mavericks, but still an awesome start to this summer.