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Conditions at Playa Pelada in January
January: The Dry Season Baseline
January is the peak of the dry season, with air temps around 27.8°C and only 0.23mm/day of rain. The Northeast trade wind is locked in - NE blows 53.8% of the time, with ENE and NNE adding another 17%, so Playa Pelada gets plenty of clean offshore flow. Wind is ideal for surfing 43% of the time, and the onshore S/SW/W quadrant only accounts for around 13% of observations.
Swell energy is still rebuilding after the winter minimum. The average is 1.3m (4.3ft) with a period of 11.5s - powerful enough to hold shape, but not the long-period, heaving groundswell that defines the green season. The direction mix is mixed: SSW and SW make up 15% and 14.6% respectively, while a notable chunk of NNE, NW, and NNW swell enters the picture. That leaves the focus slightly north of ideal, but with water temp 28°C and offshore trades, January is a reliable, user-friendly surf month.
Average Spot conditions at Playa Pelada in January
Swell history for January
Wind history for January
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Playa Pelada during January. 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 Pelada for your next trip in January.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Playa Pelada for January. 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 Pelada.