Conditions at Zavial in December
December: Winter Solstice Swell
December closes the year with maximum muscle. Average swell is back to 6-8ft (1.8-2.4m) with a 12.6 second period, and the S/SSW/SW window peaks at 2.5% - the best directional alignment Zavial gets all year. The wind picture is more mixed than November: NNW is still the primary offshore direction (16.2%), but E and ESE winds combine for over 17%, often adding a glaze or cross-breeze to the surface. Ideal wind drops to 35%. This is real winter in the Atlantic: water temperature 16.6°C, average air temp 14.9°C (min 8.2°C, max 20.0°C), and the highest average precipitation of the year at 2.97mm/day. The groundswell windows are worth every bit of effort - Zavial can be genuinely heavy, clean and firing when the alignment comes together.
Average Spot conditions at Zavial in December
Swell history for December
Wind history for December
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Zavial 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 Zavial for your next trip in December.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Zavial 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 Zavial.