Playa Bahoruco • Statistics for November

November: The Winter Engine Fires Up

November is the true beginning of the build toward winter. Average swell height is still modest at 0.8m (2.6ft), but the period is 6.3s and the direction is shifting east again: 27.4% of swell now comes from E, while ESE drops to 62.9%. That shift gives the waves a more direct push into the beach. The size distribution remains small - 61.2% in the 0.5-1m (1.6-3.3ft) class - but the 1-1.5m (3.3-4.9ft) category climbs back to 23.0%, a sign that the winter swell is starting to arrive. Ideal wind is a healthy 15%, and the trades are relaxing after the summer peak. This is the month when the first cold fronts of the season can deliver the best combination of size and offshore wind that Playa Bahoruco has seen since April. Water temp is 28.4°C, air temp 25.1°C, and precipitation is high at 2.43 mm/day - stormy, but those storms are also the source of the new swell.