Conditions at Encuentro in January
January: Midwinter North Swell at Full Power
January is one of the two best months of the year at Encuentro. The average wave height is 1.6m (5ft) with a period of 9.4s, and the direction data is stacked in the spot's favor. Swell from N, NNE, NE and ENE makes up more than 80% of the total, led by a dominant ENE peak (39%) and a strong NE showing (24%). This means frequent 1-2m (3-6ft) surf, with a meaningful share of 2-2.5m (6-8ft) pulses whenever a North Atlantic low-pressure system intensifies south of Greenland or off the US East Coast. The main issue is wind: E and ESE trades blow over 55% of the time, and true offshore S-SW wind is rare. However, a 21% ideal wind score means there are still windows, especially early in the morning and around cold-front passages. With air temps around 24.7°C and water at 26.5°C, it's warm enough for boardshorts; precipitation is modest at 1.61 mm/day.
Average Spot conditions at Encuentro in January
Swell history for January
Wind history for January
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Encuentro 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 Encuentro for your next trip in January.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Encuentro 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 Encuentro.