Conditions at Costa Nova in December
December: Year-End Groundswell
December caps off the year with a return to full winter mode. Average swell heights sit at 2.4m (8ft) with periods of 12.6s, and the swell rose is dominated by WNW (18.3 per cent) and NW (20.9 per cent), with W (7.6 per cent) and WSW (3.4 per cent) completing a very favourable W-NW window. This is the month where big, powerful groundswell from North Atlantic lows becomes the rule rather than the exception, and Costa Nova can hold size well into the overhead-plus range.
December also delivers the highest ideal wind percentage of any month, at 51 per cent, thanks to frequent continental high pressure over Spain and France funnelling offshore ENE/E/ESE/SE winds across the land to the beach. When a 12-14s W/NW swell coincides with a light E/SE offshore breeze, the conditions are simply magical. Expect cold winter air (11.1°C), water at 14.2°C, and 3.99mm/day of rain, but also the year's best chance of scoring world-class beach-break waves in Portugal.
Average Spot conditions at Costa Nova in December
Swell history for December
Wind history for December
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Costa Nova 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 Costa Nova for your next trip in December.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Costa Nova 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 Costa Nova.