Playa Zicatela • Surf Spot Statistics

Best Surf Season (May - September)

Playa Zicatela is a west-southwest-facing beach break that feeds on long-period Southern Hemisphere groundswell. When the South Pacific storm tracks are firing through boreal spring and summer, SSW/SW swell lines march straight into the sandbar and produce the heavy, hollow waves this coast is famous for. From May through September, average wave heights sit around 5-6ft (1.5-1.8m), average periods run 13-14 seconds, and the directional window is dominated by SSW/SW energy. The cleanest and most consistent stretch is June through August, when ideal wind windows reach 41-42% and the water temperature maxes out near 30.5-30.7°C.

Fair Surf Season (April and October)

April and October are transition months with plenty of SSW/SW groundswell but trickier wind regimes. April sees some of the most concentrated SSW/SW swell of the year and the longest average period at 14.1 seconds, yet ideal wind drops to just 9%, and afternoon west/northwest sea breezes can chop up the surface. October is the mirror image: the southern hemisphere swell machine is still running strong, but the wind is already shifting back toward the NW/NNW sector, which makes dawn patrols far more user-friendly.

Low Surf Season (November - March)

From November through March the average wave size drops into the 3.5-4.5ft (1.1-1.4m) range and the SSW/SW window becomes less consistent, mixing with smaller E/SE background energy. This is not a flat season, but it is a more wind-dependent period. Northerly and northwesterly winds dominate, so when an offshore/cross-offshore window lines up with a long-period SSW swell, Zicatela can still deliver clean, hollow 4-5ft (1.2-1.5m) waves. Generally, the winter months are best saved for patient surfers who are happy to pick off the stand-out sessions.