Ballito • Statistics for December

December: Peak Summer Windswell and Warm Water

December rounds out the year with classic summer conditions. The average swell height is 1.7m (5-6ft), while the average period drops to the lowest mark of the year at 8.5 seconds. That means the surf is dominated by softer, more ragged east-flow windswell rather than powerful groundswell. The direction mix remains quite workable: SSE (19.6%), E (16.3%), S (15.9%), ENE (15.0%), SE (15.1%) and ESE (12.4%) all feed the beach. The problem is the wind. Ideal surfing wind sits at only 16 percent, with NE (19.9%), ENE (13.4%), SSW (17.9%) and S (10.6%) creating bumpy, cross-shore and onshore texture through much of the day. Offshore WSW-W-WNW-NW flow is very limited. Water temperature is a warm 24.1°C, air averages 23.3°C, and rainfall remains high at 2.95 mm/day. December surfing at Ballito is a dawn patrol game: find the early light-wind window, enjoy some fun, grovelly peaks, and then watch the ocean get messy as the summer seabreeze builds.