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Conditions at Playa Maria Chiquita in December
December: The Big Swell Return - and the Winds That Ruin It
December marks the return of real winter energy. Average swell height jumps back to 4ft (1.3m), the period rises to 8.0s, and the beach sees its best chance of size from the NNE and N directions - NNE contributes 25.6%, N 3.8% and NNW 4.2%. NE still leads with 65.4%, but the direction mix begins to favour the NNW-facing sand more than it did during summer.
Yet the wind is the December villain. The North Atlantic High strengthens and re-establishes strong NE trades; the ideal offshore wind percentage collapses to 3%. NNE blows 38.2% of the time and NE another 29.0%, with frequent 10-30kph gusts that put a persistent chop on the surface. The result is solid waves on the buoy but blown-out conditions at Maria Chiquita. Rainfall drops to 3.65mm/day, water temperature is 28.2°C, but unless the trades back off or a cold front swings the wind to the south, the waves stay messy.
Average Spot conditions at Playa Maria Chiquita in December
Swell history for December
Wind history for December
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Playa Maria Chiquita 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 Playa Maria Chiquita for your next trip in December.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Playa Maria Chiquita 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 Playa Maria Chiquita.