Conditions at El Porto in March
March: Solid West Swell Meets the Spring Wind Shift
March is a transition month where the ocean still carries plenty of winter in its pulse. Average swell height is 3ft (0.9m) with an 11.7s period, and the W/WSW window remains dominant at around 84%. This month actually produces one of the largest shares of 5-8ft (1.5-2.5m) W-dominant swell of the season, with W/WSW observations in that size range showing up just over 5% of the time. When the sandbars are right, these are some of the heaviest waves El Porto sees all spring.
However, quality is often capped by wind. Ideal conditions drop to 38%, and the wind rose starts to shift toward WSW and W, meaning afternoon onshores become more frequent. Those are the directions that ruin wave shape at El Porto, so the clean surf is increasingly a dawn-patrol product. Air temperatures warm to 13.5°C, water temperature is 13.8°C, and precipitation drops to 1.81mm/day, setting the stage for brighter spring days between swell events.
Average Spot conditions at El Porto in March
Swell history for March
Wind history for March
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at El Porto during March. 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 March.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at El Porto for March. 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.