Conditions at Areia Branca in December
December: Winter Momentum Builds
December is the statistical peak of Areia Branca's offshore wind consistency. With an average swell height of 8.2ft (2.5m) and a 12.7-second period, the surf is powerful and relentless. Swell direction is anchored in the W/NW quadrant: NW leads at 21.2 percent, WNW at 15.2 percent, and W at 6.1 percent, with a good share of WSW and NNW rounding out a slightly more westerly regime than midwinter. This is ideal for the west-facing beach, and overhead-to-double-overhead waves are frequent.
The standout stat is wind: ideal offshore conditions hit 40 percent, the highest of any month. That means the swell and wind clocks align more often than at any other time of year -- classic E/ESE offshore flow under a winter high building over Iberia. Air temps are cool at 13.0°C, rain is frequent at 2.93 mm/day, and the water sits at 14.9°C. If you can score a December clean day with a 13-second NW groundswell, Areia Branca is as good as it gets.
Average Spot conditions at Areia Branca in December
Swell history for December
Wind history for December
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Areia Branca 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 Areia Branca for your next trip in December.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Areia Branca 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 Areia Branca.