Spot Kontiki • Surf Spot Statistics

Best Surf Season (December - March)

The best surfing at Kontiki comes from December through March, when the South Pacific High relaxes enough to allow more frequent light offshore NE/ENE/E/ESE breezes to develop. Average swell sits in the 4-5ft (1.2-1.5m) to 5ft (1.5m) range with periods of 12.8-13.5s, meaning there is still plenty of long-period power for this west-southwest facing beach. Critically, the direction mix is more favorable than during the rest of the year; SSW still dominates the deep-water data, but the share of SW and WSW swell is significantly higher, and the best offshore wind windows, especially in February and March, line up far more often. This is the season for clean, long-period waves, warmer water near 19-20°C, and a better chance of scoring the spot when it is truly pumping.

Fair Surf Season (April - June)

As the Southern Ocean storm track gears up through autumn, average swell sizes climb to 5-6ft (1.5-1.8m) and later to 6ft (1.9m), while periods hold at 13.2-13.6s. The waves are undeniably bigger and more powerful, but Kontiki begins to pay the price as the directional mix shifts increasingly to SSW. At the same time, the southeast Pacific pressure gradient tightens, producing more frequent S/SSW/SW winds, many in the 10-20kph range, that put a bump on the face. Still, the combination of long-period groundswell and occasional pre-frontal or ridge-induced offshore winds can produce excellent sessions, making this a legitimate shoulder season for bigger-wave surfers.

Low Surf Season (July - November)

July through November is the most frustrating stretch at Spot Kontiki. While the Southern Hemisphere winter produces some of the largest average swells of the year, often 6ft (1.9m) at 12.8-13.2s, almost all of that energy arrives from the SSW, a poor angle for this west-southwest exposure. More importantly, the persistent S/SSW/SW winds become relentless, with ideal offshore wind recorded only 3-5% of the time. The result is a lot of powerful, lumpy, wind-blown surf. If you want to score during this period, you have to hunt for the rare windows when high pressure builds inland and pulls in a light east/northeast flow; those windows can produce surprisingly heavy, long-period waves, but they are scarce.