Diego Garcia Island • Statistics for November

November: A Return to Westerly Wind Windows

November is the key transition month toward Diego Garcia's better season. Ideal wind flow jumps to 21 percent, and while ESE (19.5%) and SE (17.6%) are still the leading wind directions, there is a clear increase in WSW (4.0%), W (4.1%) and WNW (5.1%) plus a renewed NW (4.3%) component. Average swell height drops to around 6ft (1.8m) and the period is 11.0s. The swell is still very southern in character: SSE (48.5%) and S (22.8%) dominate, with SE (17.8%) close behind, but a little more energy sneaks in from SSW (5.0%), SW (0.7%) and WSW (0.6%). Most of the swell is in the 5-8ft (1.5-2.5m) range, so the atoll gets frequent long, lined-up sets, just not from the ideal direction. The improving wind outlook, warm 28.6°C water and air temperature of 27.3°C mean November offers more potential for clean, rippable conditions, especially on the days when the trades ease and the breeze goes westerly.