- Home
- ...North America
Costa Rica- Playa Jaco
Conditions at Playa Jaco in January
January: A Clean Slate on the South Pacific Swell Train
The North Pacific High is in full control during January, and at Playa Jaco that means the dry season's offshore winds are at their peak. The wind is ideal for surfing 41% of the time, with a strong NNW signal feeding into the more directly offshore N/NNE flow, while SSW and SW onshores are present but less dominant. Swell comes almost entirely from the SSW (86%) with a secondary SW component (13%), and the average period of 12.6s classifies it as powerful, long-period groundswell. Wave heights are modest by local standards - about 59% are in the 2-3ft (0.5-1m) range and a further 27% reach 3-5ft (1-1.5m) - producing clean, rippable conditions with the occasional solid set. Air temperatures hover around 26°C (21-32°C), rain is minimal at 1.34 mm/day, and the water sits at a warm 28.4°C. January is as good as it gets for pure wave quality.
Average Spot conditions at Playa Jaco in January
Swell history for January
Wind history for January
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Playa Jaco during January. 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 Playa Jaco for your next trip in January.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Playa Jaco for January. 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 Playa Jaco.