Guarita • Surf Spot Statistics

Best Surf Season (May - July)

The heart of the year at Guarita is the austral autumn-to-winter window from May through July. During this period, the South Atlantic high shifts and cold fronts begin their march from the southwest, generating the most consistent S/SSW and SSE groundswells. Average wave heights sit around 1.6-1.7m (5-6ft), average periods climb into the 9.4-9.8s range, and ideal offshore wind conditions peak at 51-54%. This combination of longer-period swell and cleaner NW/NNW wind windows is exactly what this southeast-facing beach needs to turn from average sand-dredgers into proper lined-up peaks. Water temperatures fall to 16-20°C, but the surf quality more than makes up for it.

Fair Surf Season (March, April and August)

March, April and August are shoulder months with real potential. March and April see the swell direction slowly shifting from E/ESE toward S/SSE, while periods improve from 8.8s to 9.1s and ideal wind rises from 41% to 46%. August offers the biggest average surf of the late winter at 1.7m (5.5-6ft), but the NE trades become stronger, so you have to work for the clean windows, primarily early mornings under a NW breeze. Good waves are present, but the quality is less reliable than in winter.

Low Surf Season (September - February)

From September through February, the trade-wind regime dominates Guarita. Average periods fall to 8.2-8.6s, ideal wind drops to 29-35%, and the swell direction locks into the E/ENE/ESE quadrant. There is rarely flat surf, but much of it is short-period, bumpy trade windswell. October and November are the hardest months to find clean conditions because the NE trades reach their annual peak while offshore NW/NNW flow diminishes. December through February are smaller and warmer, but the mornings can still produce clean 3-5ft (0.9-1.5m) summer surf under a light land breeze. Think summer boards, grovel fins and careful dawn patrol timing.