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Conditions at St Ives in December
December: Peak Season Punch
December is the peak of the winter season at St Ives. Average swell height reaches 2.5m (8ft) and average period holds at a powerful 11.2s, making it statistically tied with January as the biggest month of the year. Swell generation is relentless: W (16.6%), WSW (12.2%), WNW (7.2%) and SW (6.2%) feed the beach, with the largest percentages in the 1.5-2.5m range and oversized pulses from WSW/SW. The winds are characteristically stormy, with WSW (11.1%), SW (10.7%), SSW (9.0%) and W (9.0%) all capable of delivering offshore flow. However, the 17% ideal-wind figure is a caution: many large swells come with strong northwesterly winds and onshore chaos. When the post-frontal NW wind backs off and a SW breeze arrives, St Ives is at its finest - heavy, roaring, long-period waves. Water temps have cooled to 11.4°C, air temps average 10.1°C, and rain is abundant. This is what surfers on the Cornish coast live for.
Average Spot conditions at St Ives in December
Swell history for December
Wind history for December
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at St Ives 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 St Ives for your next trip in December.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at St Ives 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 St Ives.