Playa Grande • Statistics for October

October: The North Atlantic Wakes Up

October is the true start of the prime window. The average height still reads 4-5ft (1.2-1.5m), but the period lengthens to 9.1s and, more importantly, the swell direction shifts strongly toward the north-east: NE (30.6 percent), NNE (11.1 percent) and N (1.6 percent) combine with ENE (38.7 percent) to create a much better angle for Playa Grande. The wind is excellent too, with ideal south flow 56 percent of the time and fewer aggressive trade-wind days. This is a golden month for glassy dawn sessions with 3-6ft (1-1.8m) waves, and the first strong fall low can easily push surf into the head-high-plus range. Water temperature remains warm at 28.9°C, air 27.4°C, and the wet season is active but usually leaves windows between showers.