La Saladita • Statistics for January

January: Deep-Winter Groundswell with Mixed Wind

January is the heart of the Mexican dry season and a solid month for long-period SSW/SW groundswell at La Saladita. Average swell height checks in around 4ft (1.2m) with an average period of 13.5s, so most arrivals are powerful and long-period rather than weak windswell. The swell direction distribution is dominated by SW (34.7%) and WSW (32.4%), with a strong supporting dose of SSW (14.7%) and W (17.1%). The bulk of the energy sits in the 1-1.5m (3-5ft) fun-to-good range, although occasional W energy pushes into the 1.5-2m (5-6ft) range, adding a bit more punch.

Wind is the big variable. Ideal offshore conditions clock in at 38% of the time, with the favorable N through SSE quadrant prevailing. However, the onshore quadrant (SW-WSW-W-WNW) is also prominent, totaling roughly 34% of observations. When the late-day WSW seabreeze kicks in, the surface gets lumpy; but mornings often deliver clean, rippable conditions before the thermal wind builds. With air temperatures averaging 24.9°C, water temperature a warm 28.2°C, and only 0.53 mm/day of rain, January is a comfortable month to pick off long, lined-up runners with a shortboard or fish.