Conditions at Costa da Caparica in January
January: Peak Winter Groundswell and Maximum Long-Period Power
January is statistically the heaviest month of the year, with an average swell height of 2.0m (6-7ft) and an average period of 13 seconds. That is full-on winter groundswell. The swell rose is heavily weighted toward WNW (37%) and NW (23%), with a solid 10% from due W and a smaller slice of WSW/SW energy. While the true W-WSW window is not the most common angle, the long-period WNW pulses carry plenty of push for the west-southwest facing beach, especially when they wrap into the banks. The wind stats show why January is a prime month: ideal offshore E/NE wind conditions occur 46% of the time, with NNE, NE, ENE and E directions all well represented in the light-to-moderate range. Those offshore mornings make the difference, grooming the long-period swell into clean, powerful walls. Air temperatures average a cool 12.9°C and water temperatures sit at 14.8°C; combine that with 2.28 mm/day of rain and a good 4/3 wetsuit is the standard kit.
Average Spot conditions at Costa da Caparica in January
Swell history for January
Wind history for January
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Costa da Caparica during January. 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 Costa da Caparica for your next trip in January.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Costa da Caparica for January. 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 Costa da Caparica.