Manzanillo • Statistics for September

September: The Crown Jewel Month

September is about as good as it gets for Manzanillo. The swell distribution is almost perfectly aligned with the beach exposure: SW leads with 42.3 percent, SSW follows with 33.2 percent, and WSW adds another 8.2 percent. Together that is over 80 percent of the month coming from the optimal swell window. Average period sits at 12.9 seconds, and most of the energy is in the 3-5ft (1-1.5m) range, with SW and SSW contributing 32.8 and 24.5 percent respectively in that size class. Larger 5-7ft (1.5-2m) pulses are also present: 4.1 percent from SW, 2.6 percent from WSW and 1.5 percent from SSW. The wind pattern is the most favorable of the entire year, with ideal offshore wind at 34 percent. ENE drops to 43.6 percent and the directional spread becomes more varied, meaning more clean, glassy mornings and fewer blown-out afternoons. Heavy tropical rainfall of 7.94 mm/day and water temperature of 29.1°C come with the territory, but the surf is worth it.