Alibaba • Statistics for November

November: Big Swell, Fickle Windows

November brings the swell machine fully online. The average wave height is 6.5ft (2.0m) and the period has climbed back to 11.6s, putting the surf squarely in the powerful long-period category. The swell rose shows N (21.7%), NNE (35.8%) and NNW (24.9%) combining for most of the energy, with the first signs of more northerly direction after the NNE-dominated summer. This is good news for Alibaba's refracted waves, as the more N/NW the angle, the better the chance of the southwest-facing beaches lining up. Still, the true SSW-SW/W swell remains absent from the data.

Winds are back to their winter form: NE (59.3%), NNE (23.8%) and ENE (12.0%), often in the 20-40kph range. Ideal offshore conditions are present 21% of the time, so most days will have a trade-bump on the face, but the standout November days - when the wind drops to light and offshore - make it all worthwhile. Water temp falls to 26.0°C, air temps average 25.0°C, and precipitation is 0.83mm/day. Keep an eye on the forecast models for strong mid-Atlantic cyclones; they are the ones that send the biggest, cleanest lines to Cape Verde.