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Conditions at Buffels Bay in December
December: Midsummer Grind With Occasional Windows
December brings the start of high summer. The trade-wind machine is in full effect: ESE (17.4%), E (11.2%) and SE (10.3%) dominate, and ideal wind frequency sinks to 23%. The average swell height is 7-8ft (2.3m), with period down to 10.9s. Swell energy is still impressive in total, led by SSW (21.8%) and SW (20.9%), while the favourable S/SSE/SE/ESE direction band remains a relatively small contributor. What this means in practice is a lot of sizeable, period-challenged swell hitting a bay that is often textured by onshore afternoon winds. Early mornings can still produce clean, solid waves, especially if a weak front has brought a brief NNW offshore and a touch of new S swell; after that, the ESE sea breeze tends to take over. Water temp is back up to 19.2°C, air temps average 19.5°C, and the holiday crowds are a bigger hazard than the surf itself.
Average Spot conditions at Buffels Bay in December
Swell history for December
Wind history for December
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Buffels Bay 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 Buffels Bay for your next trip in December.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Buffels Bay 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 Buffels Bay.