Conditions at El Porto in December
December: Winter's Peak Brings Power, Period, and Offshore Flow
December is El Porto's winter prime. The average swell height is 2.5-3ft (0.8m), the average period is 12.4s, and the W direction roars back to dominate, supplying 53.6% of all wave observations. WSW adds 29.5%, and together the two optimal directions account for 83.1% of the swell. There is more meaningful size in the mix too: W swells put 9.5% into the 3-5ft (1-1.5m) class and 2.9% into the 5-8ft (1.5-2.5m) range. For a west-southwest-facing beach, that is a solid recipe for consistent, grinding peaks.
The kicker is wind: ideal conditions are available 51% of the time, tied for the best month of the year. NNE, N, and NNW flow are the dominant wind directions, but high-pressure systems over the Great Basin frequently deliver the NE/ENE/E offshore drains that make El Porto absolutely fire. Air temperature averages 11.7°C, water temperature is 14.6°C, and precipitation is back up to 1.97mm/day. Thick winter wetsuits are non-negotiable, but the reward is the most reliable surf window on the Southern California calendar.
Average Spot conditions at El Porto in December
Swell history for December
Wind history for December
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at El Porto 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 El Porto for your next trip in December.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at El Porto 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 El Porto.