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Conditions at Esterillos in December
December: Dry Season Dawns and Cleaner Lines Return
December brings a welcome shift back toward cleaner, more manageable surf, even as the overall swell size drops. Average height settles at 3ft (1.0m) with a period of 12.3s. The SSW direction still dominates at 95.0%, but now the height distribution is more evenly split between 1.5-3ft (0.5-1m) at 45.3% and 3-5ft (1-1.5m) at 49.3%. It's not huge, but with those long periods and the correct direction, Esterillos still offers plenty of fun, rippable waves.
Wind quality improves to 29%, though the dominant directions are still SW (12.4%), WSW (11.6%), SSW (9.9%), SE (9.4%), SSE (8.8%) and S (8.1%). The offshore north through northwest flow is less prominent than in January-February, but the arrival of the dry season means fewer rain squalls, lighter overall wind speeds and more consistent morning glass. Air temp averages 25.6°C, rainfall drops sharply to 2.82mm/day, and water temp is 28.1°C.
Average Spot conditions at Esterillos in December
Swell history for December
Wind history for December
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Esterillos during December. Based on historical data, there is a % probability of groundswell occurring this month. The chart below provides a detailed breakdown of the average wave height distribution, offering deep insights into the swell quality and surf potential you can expect at Esterillos for your next trip in December.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Esterillos for December. Our analysis shows that favorable offshore or side-shore winds coincide with surfable swell approximately % of the time. The accompanying graph illustrates the average size distribution of waves during these optimal wind windows at Esterillos.