Pulpos • Surf Spot Statistics

Best Surf Season (March - May)

Pulpos is a southwest-facing stretch of Peruvian coastline, which means the swell window is beautifully aligned with the South Pacific storm track. The statistics show the most promising surf from March through May: average swell heights climb from around 5-6ft (1.5-1.8m) to about 6ft (1.8m), while average periods peak at 13.5-13.6s. During this stretch, low-pressure systems spin up in the Southern Ocean and send long-period SSW groundswell straight into the beach. Wind remains the limiting factor, but March stands out with 8 percent ideal offshore wind, the highest of the year, and the lighter, more variable autumn regime offers the best chance of a clean morning before the onshore S/SW breeze builds.

Fair Surf Season (October - February)

From October through February, Pulpos is on the shoulder between summer and winter. Average heights range from around 4-5ft (1.2-1.5m) to nearly 6ft (1.8m), and periods remain in the powerful 12.8-13.2s range, so the surf is rarely dead. February and January even provide some of the better clean-window percentages of the year at 5 percent and 2 percent, because the southeast Pacific high is weaker and the S/SW flow is lighter. The trade-off is a smaller average swell and less consistent Southern Ocean energy. This is the time for a shorter board, a good pair of binoculars, and quick strikes on the early-morning glass-offs that occur when a subtle N-NE land breeze manages to sneak in.

Low Surf Season (June - September)

This is Pulpos in winter, and it is a lesson in too much of a good thing. The average swell height hits its annual maximum at around 6ft (1.8m), with a significant share in the 6-8ft (2-2.5m) range, and the S/SSW directions supply a constant stream of raw Southern Ocean energy. But ideal wind clocks in at just 1 percent. The southeast Pacific high tightens its grip, driving persistent S/SSW winds that blow directly onshore at the southwest-facing beach. The result is often powerful, lumpy, closed-out surf - big on the buoy but frustrating in the water. If you get one of the rare deep-sea high-pressure days with light offshore flow, it can be excellent; statistically, though, June through September is the hardest stretch to score truly clean Pulpos.