Chacahua • Surf Spot Statistics

Best Surf Season (March - August)

Chacahua faces the southwest, and the best surf of the year arrives when the Pacific swell window fills in from the S, SSW and SW. The climatological engine for this is the long-period Southern Hemisphere groundswell: as autumn and winter storms deepen across the South Pacific, they send powerful 13-14 second swells north into the Mexican coastline. Average wave heights grow from 4.6ft (1.4m) in March to a sustained 5.2ft (1.6m) by May through August, with the SSW/S direction often delivering 60-75% of all wave energy. During this window the North Pacific High also helps set up offshore N/NNE/NE/ENE flow, especially in June, July and August, keeping the SSW-facing sandbars clean and lined up. This is the most consistent all-round surfing stretch of the year.

Fair Surf Season (September - November)

September sees the highest average swell height of the year at 5.6ft (1.7m), driven by Southern Hemisphere pulses and by tropical cyclone energy from the warm Eastern Pacific. As autumn progresses, swell heights slowly fade from 4.9ft (1.5m) in October to 4.3ft (1.3m) in November, while periods remain in the powerful 13-second range. Wind statistics are still favourable, with ideal wind 55-62% of the time, but the weather is more mixed: heavier rain and a stronger W/WSW cross-shore influence in September and October can complicate the hunt for clean waves. Still, when the storm tracks align, these months can produce exceptional surf.

Low Surf Season (December - February)

December, January and February are the smallest, least consistent months at Chacahua. Average swell heights drop to 4-4.3ft (1.2-1.3m) and average periods shorten to 12-12.7s. The strong SSW/S component that dominated spring and summer weakens, while ENE/E/SE swells - less favourable for this SSW-facing beach - become a much larger part of the mix. On the positive side, winter is the dry season and the wind remains predominantly offshore from the N/NNW, so despite the smaller surf there are frequent clean, rippable days. It is not flat, but surfers looking for larger waves will want to wait for the March swell ramp.