Conditions at Pedra Branca in December
December: Peak Season, Full Bore
December is the capstone of Pedra Branca's winter season. Average wave heights stand at 8ft (2.5m), with an average period of 12.7s, and the mix of NW at 21.2%, WNW at 15.2%, NNW at 11.3% and west at 6.1% means the beach is constantly exposed to deep-water Atlantic energy. The height distribution is loaded with 5-8ft (1.5-2.5m) surf, and the over 8ft (2.5m+) category is a regular player during North Atlantic bomb cyclones.
Remarkably, December also offers the highest percentage of truly offshore wind of any month. The ENE/E/ESE/SE quadrant totals nearly 28% of all wind observations, and ideal surf wind arrives 25% of the time. This combination - big, long-period northwest swell plus clean east wind - is the formula Pedra Branca was made for. Air temps sit at 12.3°C, water temps at 14.9°C, and precipitation is high at 2.69mm/day. It is cold, wet and occasionally too big, but when December lines up, Pedra Branca is as good as it gets.
Average Spot conditions at Pedra Branca in December
Swell history for December
Wind history for December
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Pedra Branca 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 Pedra Branca for your next trip in December.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Pedra Branca 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 Pedra Branca.