Conditions at L'Ideale in March
March: Winter Energy With Spring Wind
March starts to soften, but only slightly. Average swell height drops to around 2.5-3ft (0.8m), with a 5.1s period and 13% ideal wind. The standout directions are WSW (14.0%) and SW (13.7%), while S (12.0%) and SSE (11.4%) swells become more frequent as the Genoa low track begins shifting north. The good news is that WSW still offers the most rideable class - 3.6% of all swell in the 3-5ft (1-1.5m) range and another 2.0% in the 5-6.5ft (1.5-2m) range. This is still plenty enough to make L'Ideale fun on the right day.
Spring is announcing itself in the wind fields: NW and WNW winds grow to 5.5% and 6.0% respectively, creating more opportunities for clean, groomed surf after winter storms. Air temperatures warm to 11.7°C on average, but sea temps hold at 13.9°C. Rain remains significant at 2.04mm/day. Keep the winter wetsuit close; March can deliver some of the most underrated swell windows of the year.
Average Spot conditions at L'Ideale in March
Swell history for March
Wind history for March
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at L'Ideale during March. 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 L'Ideale for your next trip in March.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at L'Ideale for March. 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 L'Ideale.