Conditions at Grindavik in December
December: Full Winter Fury
December brings Grindavik's winter peak. Average swell height is 2.3m (7.5ft), and the average period stretches to 11.4s, with a large share of swell in the 2-2.5m (6.6-8.2ft) range and beyond. SW and SSW swells dominate at 13.6% and 10.8%, backed by S at 7.7% and WSW at 7.5%, creating consistent, powerful surf on the south-facing coastline. The downside is wind: ideal offshore flow only occurs 13% of the time, and the most common directions are NNE/NE/ENE, which can degrade surface quality. However, strong winter lows repeatedly generate long-period SW groundswell, and when winds swing into the N/NNW sector after a front passes, Grindavik can turn XL and challenging. Air temps average 1.5°C, water temps are 6.1°C, and daily precipitation sits near 5.00mm. This is big, cold, committed surf at its most extreme.
Average Spot conditions at Grindavik in December
Swell history for December
Wind history for December
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Grindavik during December. 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 Grindavik for your next trip in December.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Grindavik for December. 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 Grindavik.