Salsa Brava • Statistics for January

January: Heart of the Caribbean Dry Season

January is one of the most consistent months of the year at Salsa Brava. The wave rose is dominated by ENE windswell at 74 percent, with NE adding another 18 percent, giving an average wave height of around 4-5ft (1.2-1.4m) and a punchy 8.4s period. The height distribution is loaded with good surf: 34 percent of the time the swell sits in the fun 3-5ft (1-1.5m) range, and 26 percent pushes into the pumping 5-6.5ft (1.5-2m) range, with occasional 6.5-8ft (2-2.5m) sets. This is primarily trade-wind swell generated across the Caribbean, not the rare N-NNW groundswell that Salsa Brava truly loves, so expect more walled-up, fast reef waves rather than heavy, grinding bombs.

The wind story is typical for winter: NNW, NW and WNW breezes are the most frequent directions, which means the majority of the month is onshore or cross-shore. However, the wind is ideal for surfing 29 percent of the time, one of the better ratios of the year. Combined with a relatively dry 3.23 mm/day, air temperatures around 24.1°C and water temperature at 27.5°C, January gives you solid, ridable surf and enough clean windows to make it a prime month.