Conditions at Lahinch in December
December: Heavy Winter Punch
December brings Lahinch to the edge of the winter peak. Average swell heights are running around 7-8ft (2.3m) and the wave period sits at a powerful 12.2s, with W swells (24.2%) and WSW (15.4%) providing perfect direction for the beach. The great news for big-wave fans is the presence of XL sets - over 8ft (2.5m) - especially when the pre-Christmas Atlantic storms line up. The bad news is wind: ideal conditions only 20% of the time, and the prevailing SW-to-W flow is often strong, making the beach a blustery, storm-swept place. But December's enormous swells are also its calling card; if you can find a sheltered corner or a clean offshore NNE/ENE window, the waves at Lahinch are long-period, heavy and hollow. Water temperature is 9.9°C, air temperature averages 7.5°C, and precipitation is around 4.55mm per day. This is no month for beginners - it is for experienced chargers.
Average Spot conditions at Lahinch in December
Swell history for December
Wind history for December
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Lahinch 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 Lahinch for your next trip in December.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Lahinch 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 Lahinch.