Conditions at Ribeira d'Ilhas in December
December: Peak North Atlantic Power
December is the heart of winter and one of the premier months for serious surf at Ribeira d'Ilhas. The Icelandic Low is in full force, the Azores High has retreated, and a relentless sequence of extratropical cyclones crosses the North Atlantic. Average surf height runs to 2.5m (8ft) with an average period of 12.7s, producing powerful, heavy and occasionally XXL conditions. The swell direction mix is excellent for this spot: NW (21.2%), WNW (15.2%), NNW (11.3%) and W (6.1%) combine with a strong WSW and SW secondary component to give Ribeira's west-southwest-facing lineup plenty of exposure to open-ocean energy. The wind pattern is more favourable than in summer - E (8.7%), ESE (7.7%), ENE (6.2%) and NE (5.0%) mean the offshore quadrant totals nearly 28% of observations, and 26% of the month is rated clean. Occasionally, cold continental air masses spill east winds all the way to the coast, producing glassy mornings with steep, hollow 6-10ft (1.8-3m) waves. Water temps sit at 14.9°C and air at 12.3°C; bring the thick suit and be ready for a serious ocean.
Average Spot conditions at Ribeira d'Ilhas in December
Swell history for December
Wind history for December
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Ribeira d'Ilhas 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 Ribeira d'Ilhas for your next trip in December.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Ribeira d'Ilhas 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 Ribeira d'Ilhas.