Wishing Well • Statistics for December

December: Max Winter Swell and Shifting Winds

December is statistically the biggest surf month of the year at Wishing Well. The average swell height reaches 5.5ft (1.6m) with a 10.0-second average period and the highest concentration of serious swell in the data: 44 percent of waves are 1-1.5m (3-5ft), 34 percent are 1.5-2m (5-6.5ft), 12 percent are 2-2.5m (6.5-8ft), and even a small 2.5m-plus fraction appears. Direction remains locked in the NE/ENE quadrant, NE 43 percent, NNE 24 percent, ENE 20 percent, and N 5 percent, meaning the energy is powerful but must bend its way into the west-facing spot. December also has the year's lowest ideal wind percentage at 39 percent; the trade winds are strongest and most consistent from ENE/E, with 47 percent ENE and 20 percent E, but there are occasional 30-40kph pulses that put a lumpy texture on the surface. Water temperature is 27.3°C, air 25.5°C (21-31°C), and precipitation is 2.4mm/day. If you can find a morning with a fading E wind and a fresh NNE groundswell pushing in, December offers the biggest, most powerful surf Wishing Well sees all year.