
January is peak season for Hawaii's North Shore, South Africa, and Australia's Gold Coast, with powerful swells and offshore conditions across Central America.
January sits in the heart of the Northern Hemisphere winter swell season. Hawaii's North Shore is at its biggest and most consistent, while Central America catches the tail of strong Northwest swells. In the Southern Hemisphere, Australia's Gold Coast and Snapper Rocks are on, and South Africa's J-Bay region picks up solid Indian Ocean groundswell. Water is cold in Europe but the waves are pumping, making this a great month for committed cold-water surfers in Portugal and France.