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Conditions at Manzanillo in December
December: Winter Trade Machine Returns
December closes the year the way January started it: a strong northeast trade regime and short-period swell. ENE winds blow 64.0 percent of the time and NE another 33.2 percent, with many hours in the 30-50kph range. Ideal offshore wind drops to just 4 percent, so the best conditions are rare and fleeting. Swell is dominated by ENE at 40.1 percent and NE at 22.9 percent, with average period falling to 8.9 seconds. Heights still show 3-5ft (1-1.5m) and 5-7ft (1.5-2m) peaks from those directions, but it is mostly local trade windswell without the power or direction to make Manzanillo shine. Favorable SSW/SW energy is limited to around 9 percent. The dry season has returned with only 0.21 mm/day of rain, air temperatures are a warm 27.3°C, and water temperature sits at 27.0°C. For the dedicated surfer, this is the time to hunt for the odd southern hemisphere pulse and score while the trades take a rare breather.
Average Spot conditions at Manzanillo in December
Swell history for December
Wind history for December
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Manzanillo during December. Based on historical data, there is a % probability of groundswell occurring this month. The chart below provides a detailed breakdown of the average wave height distribution, offering deep insights into the swell quality and surf potential you can expect at Manzanillo for your next trip in December.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Manzanillo for December. Our analysis shows that favorable offshore or side-shore winds coincide with surfable swell approximately % of the time. The accompanying graph illustrates the average size distribution of waves during these optimal wind windows at Manzanillo.