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Conditions at Playa Matapalo in December
December: The Clean, Quieter Reset
December signals the return of the dry season. Average swell height drops to 2.6ft (0.8m) and the period is 12.3s, with the swell window again locked onto SSW (98.9 percent). Only 13 percent of the energy reaches the 3-5ft (1-1.5m) range, so it is mostly waist-high runners. Offshore winds remain excellent-ideal 75 percent of the time-led by WNW at 18.5 percent and W at 13.2 percent. The rain collapses to 3.63mm/day, offering long stretches of blue-sky surf days. Water is a warm 28.3°C. This is the classic dry-season reset: the lineup starts to thin, the surface becomes sparkling and clean, and while the size is modest, the shape on a long-period SSW swell is consistently satisfying.
Average Spot conditions at Playa Matapalo in December
Swell history for December
Wind history for December
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Playa Matapalo 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 Playa Matapalo for your next trip in December.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Playa Matapalo 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 Playa Matapalo.