Offshore Wind

Offshore wind blows from the land out to sea, holding up the face of an incoming wave and giving it clean, glassy shape. Most surfers consider light offshore wind (under 15 mph) the ideal condition because it grooms the wave, delays the break, and produces the hollow, well-shaped surf you see in magazine photos. Too much offshore wind (over 20 mph) can make it hard to paddle into waves and push chop up the face from behind. Offshore direction depends on which way the coast is oriented: on the East Coast a west wind is usually offshore, while on the West Coast an east wind is offshore.