Puerto Escondido • Statistics for April

April: Maximum Swell, Minimal Wind Windows

April is a frustrating month for Puerto Escondido because the swell is genuinely pumping. Average swell height sits at 5ft (1.5m) and the average period is 14.1 seconds, one of the longest of the year. The directional data is heavily loaded toward the SSW window, which accounts for 68.5 percent of all swell, with SW adding 18.5 percent and S another 8.9 percent. Nearly 25 percent of that SSW energy falls in the 1.5-2m class, with additional energy pushing into the 2-2.5m range. This is long-period, powerful groundswell with world-class potential.

Unfortunately, the wind data tells a rougher story. Ideal offshore wind is present only 10 percent of the time, the lowest of the year. The wind rose is dominated by W at 20.1 percent, WNW at 24.6 percent and WSW at 15.3 percent, all of which are onshore or cross-onshore for this west-southwest-facing beach. Strong afternoon sea breezes are common, so the window of opportunity is often narrow and early. Air temperatures warm to 24.8°C, water temp rises to 29.0°C, and precipitation begins to creep up at 0.32 mm/day.