Conditions at Palplanche in January
January: The Long-Period Lull
The South Atlantic's winter storm machine is in its summer nap, and Palplanche feels it. Average wave heights sit at around 1.5ft (0.4m) with a long-period signature of 11.7s, meaning most of the energy arrives as clean but tiny groundswell. Dominating the wave rose is a 77.5% chunk of SW swell, although 68.8% of the total distribution comes in under 2ft (0.5m), and only 8.7% reaches the 1.5-3ft (0.5-1m) class. The SSW component adds 13.9% and the WSW sector adds 7.9%, with essentially zero true W, WNW, NW or NNW swell. The wind story is less ideal: favourable S/SSW/SW flow totals around 70%, but the ideal window for the spot only lights up 6% of the time, and W/WNW/NW/NNW onshore flow comprises 14.2% of the wind rose. With water temps at 28.6°C, air temps near 27°C and 5.68mm/day of rain, January is a month for longboard logging or warm-water resting between sets.
Average Spot conditions at Palplanche in January
Swell history for January
Wind history for January
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Palplanche 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 Palplanche for your next trip in January.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Palplanche 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 Palplanche.