Conditions at Martinhal in January
January: Full Roar of the North Atlantic
January is peak season at Martinhal. The average swell height reaches around 8ft (2.4m) with a long-period average of 13.1 seconds, and the swell window is dominated by NW at 27.5%, WNW at 16.9% and NNW at 9.4%. Those directions sit a little north of the ideal W-SSW angle for this southeast-facing bay, but their long period and size allow the Atlantic swells to wrap efficiently into the break. When the direction relaxes to W or WSW, the best, most lined-up waves arrive. Wind-wise, NNW is the workhorse at 19%, followed by NNE at 10.4% and N at 7.7%, giving 23% of the time fully clean offshore conditions; the N/NNW component blows straight offshore, while E/SE winds are the main spoilers. Air temperatures hover near 13.8°C (min 6.2°C, max 18.8°C), precipitation averages 1.96mm/day, and the water sits at 15.8°C, so a hooded 4/3mm wetsuit is often the call for marathon sessions.
Average Spot conditions at Martinhal in January
Swell history for January
Wind history for January
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Martinhal 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 Martinhal for your next trip in January.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Martinhal 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 Martinhal.