Conditions at Ria Formosa in December
December: Winter Peak
December lives up to its reputation as the peak of European winter surf. Average swell height returns to 3.3ft (1.0m), period sits at a powerful 11.0s, and ideal winds are present 27 percent of the time. The winter wave rose is full of potential: W (17.1 percent), WNW (15.4 percent), WSW (12.0 percent), SW (7.9 percent) and NW (11.0 percent), with more 1.5-2.5m energy in the optimal sectors than any other month. Strong extratropical storms crossing the North Atlantic generate long-period, powerful swell, while cold high-pressure systems over Spain funnel N/NE winds across the surf zone. Air temps are cool at 14.0°C, rain is abundant at 2.75mm/day and sea surface temperature drops to 16.6°C, but when a clean 5-8ft (1.5-2.4m) WSW swell lines up, this is the real deal.
Average Spot conditions at Ria Formosa in December
Swell history for December
Wind history for December
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Ria Formosa 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 Ria Formosa for your next trip in December.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Ria Formosa 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 Ria Formosa.