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Conditions at Manhattan Beach in December
December: Peak Season Begins - Clean, Long and Westerly
December delivers the most consistent winter surf conditions of the year. Ideal wind frequency peaks at 52 percent, matched only by January, and the average swell sits at 2-3ft (0.8m) with a 12.4-second period. The direction data is a love letter to west-facing beaches: W swell accounts for 54 percent, WSW 30 percent, SW 10 percent, with a touch of WNW. The offshore NE/E wind regime dominates, while onshore W/WSW/SW flow drops to around 18 percent - the cleanest wind pattern of the year. Air temps average 11.7°C, precipitation is 1.97 mm/day, and water has cooled to 14.6°C. December is full-on winter swell season; the waves may not be huge on average, but when long-period W swells line up with offshore wind, Manhattan Beach delivers some of its most rhythmic and ripable surf.
Average Spot conditions at Manhattan Beach in December
Swell history for December
Wind history for December
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Manhattan Beach 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 Manhattan Beach for your next trip in December.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Manhattan Beach 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 Manhattan Beach.