Conditions at El Muelle in January
January: The Full Fury of the Atlantic
January is prime time at El Muelle. Average swell height sits at 2.2m (7.2ft) and the mean period reaches 12.9 seconds, placing this squarely in the powerful, long-period category. NNW swell dominates with 34.8% of all readings, followed by NW at 19.5%, and there is a solid chunk of N and WNW energy mixed in. The 1.5-2.5m (5-8ft) range accounts for the majority of those directions, so when the Atlantic low pressure train lines up, El Muelle is holding heaving, well-organized lines.
The biggest obstacle is wind. NNE and NE winds combine for over 40% of the observations, with a strong ENE component too. These are directly onshore or cross-onshore for the northeast-facing beach and quickly destroy the wave faces. Ideal offshore wind sits at a mere 6% in January, so you need a sharp cold front to pass and flip the flow to the west or southwest. With air temperatures around 17.7°C, water at 19.1°C, and modest rainfall at 0.43mm/day, the real issue is never cold - it is finding a clean window in a month full of wind.
Average Spot conditions at El Muelle in January
Swell history for January
Wind history for January
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at El Muelle during January. 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 El Muelle for your next trip in January.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at El Muelle for January. 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 El Muelle.