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Conditions at Playa Maria Chiquita in January
January: Peak Winter Size, Peak Onshore Mess
January is the largest month on paper, with an average swell height of 5ft (1.5m) and a punchy 8.1s period. But the direction and wind tell a different story at Playa Maria Chiquita. The North Atlantic Subtropical High pumps a relentless NE trade wind: 66.3% of the wave energy arrives from the NE and another 26.1% from the NNE, while the true N/NNW swell window accounts for only about 5.7% of the wave distribution.
Winds are locked in from NNE (54.9%) and NE (25.9%), mostly in the 10-30kph class, and the ideal offshore S/SW flow scores 0% for the month. The result is a blown-out, bumpy surface with plump shoulder-high-plus waves that rarely clean up. Air temperatures stay warm at 26.6°C with just 0.91mm/day of rain, and water temperature is 27.7°C - but you are often surfing a washing machine unless a cold front briefly shifts the swell north and kills the trades.
Average Spot conditions at Playa Maria Chiquita in January
Swell history for January
Wind history for January
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Playa Maria Chiquita during January. 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 January.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Playa Maria Chiquita for January. 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.