Manazillo Bay • Surf Spot Statistics

Best Surf Season (September - February)

The surf year at Manazillo Bay builds through late summer, peaks in September and October, and then carries into the winter months with cleaner, more westerly swell angles. September averages 1.7m (5.5ft) -- the biggest month of the year -- and the ideal-wind score peaks at 48 percent, thanks to a combination of southern-hemisphere groundswell, eastern Pacific tropical cyclone energy and strengthening offshore/easterly wind patterns. From November through February, the swell angle shifts steadily toward the optimum SW-WSW-W window for this west-facing beach, keeping the bay groomed with 1.2-1.5m (4-5ft) of long-period surf. This entire six-month block offers the best ratio of size, period and clean wind.

Fair Surf Season (June - August)

Summer is not a time to write off Manazillo Bay. Relentless long-period southern-hemisphere swells keep average heights at 1.5-1.6m (5ft), and ideal-wind percentages are actually higher than in spring at 38-46 percent. What keeps it from the top tier is direction: the dominant SSW/S swell is more southerly than the preferred SW-W window, so this west-facing beach has to work to turn that raw Pacific energy into lined-up waves. Add a rainy, humid tropical climate and the need to time dawn sessions, and you get a fun but slightly more inconsistent surf season.

Low Surf Season (March - May)

The hardest window of the year is March through May. Swell is not tiny -- March averages 1.3m and May reaches 1.5m -- but the wind quality collapses as the spring transition brings persistent WSW/SW onshore breezes. Ideal conditions drop to just 18-23 percent, turning otherwise clean long-period swells into lumpy, wind-affected surf. There are still rideable days, especially at dawn and after the wind eases, but this is the season to be selective.