Conditions at Santo Amaro in December
December: Heavy, Wait-for-the-Wind Winter
December is a giant of a month-average swell height reaches 8ft (2.4m) with a 12.7-second period, and there are plenty of sets over the 8ft (2.5m) mark. The direction mix is still predominantly WNW (17.2 percent), NW (22.7 percent), and NNW (8.5 percent), but the SW-WSW contribution grows to nearly 5 percent, giving the coast a broader swell window. The catch is the wind: ideal time drops to just 37 percent, the lowest of the year, as frequent and sometimes strong ENE to SE winds accompany winter lows over the Iberian Peninsula. Air temperatures bottom out around 13.8°C and water cools to 15.5°C. Rain is common (2.67 mm/day). Yet for the surfer who can pick the windows-usually 12 to 24 hours after a crisp cold front passes-December offers some of the most powerful and hollow waves of the year.
Average Spot conditions at Santo Amaro in December
Swell history for December
Wind history for December
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Santo Amaro 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 Santo Amaro for your next trip in December.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Santo Amaro 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 Santo Amaro.