Palmarcito • Surf Spot Statistics

Best Surf Season (April - October)

Palmarcito faces directly south, so the surf year is all about long-fetched Pacific groundswell and keeping the local wind out of the south. The most explosive window runs from April through October, when southern hemisphere winter storms fire a conveyor belt of S and SSW energy into the Salvadoran coast. Average heights climb to 4-4.5ft (1.2-1.4m) and periods reach 13-14.2s, giving the spot the push and power it needs to shine. This is the wet season, so afternoon onshores and tropical rain are part of the deal, but the early-morning offshore or glassy windows are worth chasing.

Fair Surf Season (March & November)

March and November are classic shoulder months. In March the ocean is warming, the first solid SSW pulses are arriving, and the period has already stretched to 13.4s, but the average size is still a notch below the summer peak. November still carries plenty of SSW energy, yet wave heights start to drop as the offshore 'Norther' flow becomes more established. Both months offer a mix of clean conditions and decent swells, making them great transitional periods for consistent surf without the extremes.

Low Surf Season (December - February)

There is no flat season at Palmarcito, but December through February is the relative small-wave window. Average swell heights bottom out around 3ft (1m) and periods shorten to 12-13s. What saves this season is the wind: strong and consistent NNE/NNW offshore flow dominates, with ideal surf conditions 63-70% of the time. Expect clean, rippable, user-friendly waves rather than the heavy, pumping surf of the best season.