Playa Junquillal • Statistics for March

March: The Southern Hemisphere Begins to Sing

March is a transition month at Junquillal, and the data show it clearly. The average wave period jumps to 13.2s, and the swell direction shifts hard toward the optimal SSW/SW window. SSW jumps to 39% of all swell observations and SW adds another 24.5%, meaning nearly two-thirds of the waves now come from the best-aligned directions. Add WSW and W and the optimal swell total is above 71%. At a 1.3m (4ft) average height, the dominant band remains a fun, rippable 3-5ft, with a growing share of 5-6.5ft sets.

The NE/ENE trades are still strong through March, together around 68% of all wind observations. Ideal conditions occur 56% of the time, largely because the trades blow offshore but can get brisk at higher speeds. Air temperatures rise to 29.0°C, water temperature is 28.4°C, and rain is still scarce at just 0.14mm/day. The combination of longer period and increasing SSW/SW direction makes March a sneakily good month for quality west-facing surf before the wet season fully takes hold.