Conditions at Praia da Rocha in January
January: Winter's Full Atlantic Muscle
January delivers the heaviest average swell of the year at Praia da Rocha: 4.6ft (1.4m) with a powerful average period of 12.9s. The swell rose is dominated by WNW (37%) and NW (23%), but the quality-producing southwesterly energy is also present, with S-SSW-SW-WSW combinations making up close to 9% of all wave energy. When Atlantic lows move out of the mid-latitude storm track and approach the Iberian coast, WSW and SW groundswell pushes directly into the SSW-facing bay, setting up the sandbars. Ideal offshore wind arrives 43% of the time, the highest score of the year, with the N-NNE-NE-ENE quadrant grooming the surf and keeping it clean. The main spoiler is frontal S/SW wind, present around 15% of the time, which can chop things up between systems. Water temperature is 16.0°C, air temperature averages 13.8°C, and rain is common at 1.96mm/day - a small price to pay for long-period winter power.
Average Spot conditions at Praia da Rocha in January
Swell history for January
Wind history for January
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Praia da Rocha 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 Praia da Rocha for your next trip in January.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Praia da Rocha 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 Praia da Rocha.