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Conditions at Rottnest Island in December
December: The Worst Month for Consistency
December is statistically the most challenging month for quality surf at Rottnest Island. Average swell height is still 6ft (1.9m), and the period is 11.7s, but ideal conditions bottom out at just 3% - the lowest of the year. The wave rose is again dominated by SW (48.1%) and SSW (28.8%), but the wind rose is a showcase of onshore summer flow: SSW alone accounts for 29.5% of observations, with S adding 20.3% and SSE another 10.1%. Strong S/SSW winds of 20-50kph are frequent and relentless, making the exposed south-facing beaches messy, lumpy and difficult to read. The weather is pleasant - air averages 21.3°C, water is warm at 20.8°C, and rainfall is a tiny 0.34 mm/day - but the surf is often a bumpy, windblown version of what lies beneath. A lucky combination of long-period SW groundswell and an early N/NW land breeze can still produce fun, rippable waves, but those moments are rare in December.
Average Spot conditions at Rottnest Island in December
Swell history for December
Wind history for December
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Rottnest Island 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 Rottnest Island for your next trip in December.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Rottnest Island 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 Rottnest Island.