Punta Panico • Surf Spot Statistics

Best Surf Season (December - April)

For Punta Panico, the best surfing season is not defined by the biggest swell, but by the cleanest combination of wind and swell direction. From December through April, the 'ideal wind' score sits at 42-62%, the highest of the year, as the South Pacific high relaxes and the strong winter trades are replaced by lighter S/SSW/SW/WSW offshore breezes. Average swell heights are still a solid 5-6ft (1.5-1.7m) with long 14-second periods, and the direction spreads out between SSW, SW and WSW, giving this northwest-facing beach a much better chance of wrapping the swell into its cove. The water is warm - 21.5°C to 24.4°C - and the rain is minimal, making it the most comfortable and most consistent period for waves at Punta Panico.

Fair Surf Season (May & November)

May and November are shoulder months in the surf calendar. May still sees Southern Ocean groundswell pulse at an average of 1.8m (6ft), but the direction locks into the SSW and the trades strengthen, dropping the ideal-wind score to 45% and making conditions lumpy. November is the reverse: the swell starts to back down to 1.7m (5-6ft) and the direction rotates back toward the SW, but the winds are still strong enough to keep the quality only moderate. Both months offer occasional good sessions, but they demand careful timing to avoid the bump.

Low Surf Season (June - October)

June through October is the low-quality season for this spot, despite being the peak of the Southern Hemisphere winter swell. The open-ocean wave rose shows a relentless 1.8-1.9m (6ft) SSW groundswell with 14-second periods - power that would be world-class on a south-facing beach - but Punta Panico faces northwest and requires N, WNW, NW or NNW swell to light up. That favorable direction is almost completely absent. At the same time, the South Pacific high strengthens and drives strong S/SSW/SW winds offshore at 20-40kph, pushing the ideal-wind score down to 21-30%. The combination of wrong-direction swell and strong winds creates a heavily shadowed, bumpy and difficult surf environment. Only the most dedicated locals find worthwhile waves, usually on the rare lighter-wind morning.