Punta Huanchaco • Statistics for November

November: Smaller Swell, Lower Expectations

November is one of the quieter months of the year at Huanchaco. The average swell height drops to 1.5m (4.9ft) and the average period is 12.7s. The directional pattern remains limited, with SSW at 78.6 percent and S at 20.7 percent, but the height distribution is now bottom-heavy: 36.5 percent of swell sits in the 1-1.5m class, and the 1.5-2m class has shrunk to 37.4 percent. The 2-2.5m class is down to just 4.4 percent, meaning the really powerful, pumping days are becoming rare.

Wind quality is still poor, with only 23 percent ideal conditions, and S/SSW winds remain the default. The transition toward summer brings weaker pressure gradients, so the surf tends to be smaller and softer. Water temperature rebounds to 17.9°C, air temperatures rise to 19.4°C, and precipitation stays minimal at 0.29 mm/day. It is a month for longboard fun and grabbing the odd clean winter remnant rather than chasing heavy barrels.