Conditions at Praia de Monte Gordo in December
December: Peak Swell and Winter Grooming
December delivers the biggest average swell of the year at 0.9m (3ft), with the period holding at a strong 7.7s. The wave rose shows an excellent mix of background W groundswell (13.0%), WSW swell (15.9%), SW swell (11.8%), and SE swell (9.3%). The SW direction is the most interesting for wave quality: it logs 3.6% in the 1-1.5m (3.3-4.9ft) band, 2.1% in 1.5-2m (4.9-6.6ft), 1.6% in 2-2.5m (6.6-8.2ft), and even 0.1% above 2.5m (8.2ft). A solid winter storm can push proper head-high-plus swell straight into this south-facing beach.
Wind is nearly perfect in December. NNW piles up at 23.5%, with NW at 7.9% and N at 4.4%, producing the second-highest ideal surf wind percentage of the year at 43%. Rain is the highest of any month - 2.88mm/day - and water temp cools to 15.9°C, so pack a hooded 4/3mm suit. When the low-pressure systems track across the northern Atlantic and send their swell south, Monte Gordo goes from a summer dream to a legit winter wave.
Average Spot conditions at Praia de Monte Gordo in December
Swell history for December
Wind history for December
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Praia de Monte Gordo 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 Praia de Monte Gordo for your next trip in December.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Praia de Monte Gordo 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 Praia de Monte Gordo.