Conditions at Enniscrone in December
December: Midwinter Muscle - Long-Period Power
December matches the peak winter swell window. The average swell height reaches around 8ft (2.5m) and the period stretches to 12.1s, giving Enniscrone some of the most powerful, consistent waves of the year. The directional distribution is dominated by west (12.1%), west-northwest (11.9%), north-northwest (8.5%) and northwest (7.7%), with a significant proportion of waves in the 6-8ft (1.8-2.4m) and 8ft+ (2.5m+) categories. These are the deep, pulsating groundswells that travel across the entire North Atlantic before unloading on the Irish coast. The beach's north-north-west exposure aligns perfectly with the strongest fetch of the season.
The main enemy in December is wind, with only 22% of time ideal. The wind rose is broadly split between south and south-southwest (20%+ total) and west/south-west, but frequent gale-force north-west to north-north-west winds can wreak havoc on the wave quality. The best windows occur when a strong high-pressure cell sits south of Ireland, driving offshore south-east-to-south-west winds over the coast. With air temperatures averaging 5.9°C, water temperatures at 10.6°C, and precipitation at 4.44mm/day, this is heavy-duty winter surfing. But if you time it right, December can serve up the biggest, most epic sessions of the year at Enniscrone.
Average Spot conditions at Enniscrone in December
Swell history for December
Wind history for December
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Enniscrone 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 Enniscrone for your next trip in December.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Enniscrone 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 Enniscrone.