Puerto Escondido • Statistics for March

March: Stronger Swell, Less Reliable Wind

March marks the beginning of a noticeable upward trend in swell size. Average heights reach 4.5ft (1.4m) and the period stretches to 13.6 seconds, so the wave quality potential is real. SSW dominates the buoy data at 48.7 percent, with SW at 24.5 and S at 13.1 percent. More importantly, the 1.5-2m band starts to fill in, especially from the SSW, which contributes 9.0 percent in that class. These are proper, long-period groundswells with plenty of power.

The problem in March is wind. Ideal offshore flow drops to just 15 percent, the lowest of the winter-to-spring transition. WNW leads the wind rose at 23.2 percent, followed by W at 15.2 and WSW at 12.5, meaning onshore and cross-onshore flow is common, especially in the afternoon. Morning windows are the key. Water temp climbs to 28.1°C, air temperatures average 23.6°C, and precipitation is still minimal at 0.15 mm/day, so if you can find a clean morning, March can absolutely fire.