Conditions at Playa de Traba in January
January: Depth-Charge Groundswell Month
January is deep winter on the Costa da Morte. The average swell is a serious 10-11ft (3.3m) with a 12.7s long-period pulse. Directionally, the wave rose is stacked in the WNW (9.9%), NW (8.2%) and NNW (5.1%) sectors, with a solid W component (5.0%) - meaning the beach is constantly under the influence of North Atlantic groundswell. N and NNE swells add another 3.8% but are less consistent. With periods around 13s, waves arrive with serious open-ocean power and can double up on the sandbars.
Winds are a mixed bag. The offshore quadrant (WSW, SW, SSW, S) accounts for about 41% of all observations, but the perfect clean window is open only 25% of the time because of strength and gustiness. NE and ENE winds together blow almost 20% of the time, and these tend to put sideshore texture on the face. When a low pressure sits over the Bay of Biscay and winds swing to Southerly or South-Southwesterly, Traba turns into an exposed, hollow, heavy beach. Air temperatures average 8.5°C, water is 13.5°C, and with nearly 5mm/day of rain, you had better bring the thick suit and a hood.
Average Spot conditions at Playa de Traba in January
Swell history for January
Wind history for January
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Playa de Traba 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 Playa de Traba for your next trip in January.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Playa de Traba 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 Playa de Traba.