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Conditions at Playa Carmen in April
April: Southern Hemisphere Groundswell Peaks in Period
April marks a transition. The average surf size increases to 4ft (1.3m) and the average period hits 14.1s, the highest of the year, which means a greater percentage of real, powerful groundswell. The distribution is almost one-directional: 94.3% of the swell comes from the SSW and only 4.6% from SW. The 3.5-5ft (1-1.5m) range is the dominant class, and a solid 11.6% of the time waves are in the 5-6.5ft (1.5-2m) zone. Playa Carmen is as exposed as it gets to this south swell corridor.
The catch is wind. The ideal offshore wind percentage drops to 48%, and the trade wind becomes less organized. NNE is still the largest single direction at 9.2%, but S, SSW, and SSE winds combine for over 27%, meaning more onshore and cross-onshore mornings. Rain starts to creep in at 2.69 mm/day, air temperature is around 29°C, water temperature is 29.7°C. It pays to be picky and wait for the early clean sessions.
Average Spot conditions at Playa Carmen in April
Swell history for April
Wind history for April
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Playa Carmen during April. 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 Playa Carmen for your next trip in April.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Playa Carmen for April. 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 Playa Carmen.