Conditions at Crab Island in December
December: Solstice Swells
December brings the shortest days and the strongest Atlantic energy to close out the year. Average swell height is up to around 7-8ft (2.1-2.4m) and the period is a solid 12.2 seconds, so the surf is not only big but also long-period and powerful. W remains the number one swell direction at 24.2%, with WSW at 15.4% and WNW at 11.7%; together with NW at 2.8%, the favorable quadrant supplies more than half of the month's waves, concentrated in the heavy 1.5-2.5m (5-8ft) range and above.
Winds remain the winter wild card. Ideal wind is 14%, and offshore flow from the ENE-to-SE quadrant adds up to 20.7%, but WSW-to-NW onshore winds occur 29.8% of the time. It is cold, wet, and often stormy, with average air temperatures of 7.5°C, water temperatures of 9.9°C, and 4.55mm/day of rain. The reward is that the darkest months produce the thickest, most powerful surf of the year. Wrap up warm, watch the charts, and jump on the first clean east-wind window that comes out of the Christmas storms.
Average Spot conditions at Crab Island in December
Swell history for December
Wind history for December
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Crab Island during December. 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 Crab Island for your next trip in December.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Crab Island for December. 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 Crab Island.