Conditions at Cova do Vapor in December
December: Winter Prime Time
December is statistically the best month of the year along with January. Average swell heights run 1.9m (6.2ft) with a 12.6s period-a powerful, long-period recipe. Wave direction is well-balanced for the spot: WNW (28.3%), NW (26.1%), and W (10.8%), with WSW (5.0%) and SW (2.6%) adding direct exposure. Ideal wind frequency reaches 46%. The wind rose is more variable than summer: NNW still leads at 13.3%, but ENE (10.9%), NNE (7.9%), NE (7.2%), and E (7.2%) appear frequently, providing offshore and sideshore alternatives. The daylight is short, water temperature is 15.5°C, and air temps average 13.8°C with plenty of rain at 2.67mm/day. When the Atlantic winter storms align, Cova do Vapor sees head-high-to-overhead-plus groundswell, and the offshore easterly quarter winds can sculpt some of the cleanest, heaviest peaks of the year.
Average Spot conditions at Cova do Vapor in December
Swell history for December
Wind history for December
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Cova do Vapor 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 Cova do Vapor for your next trip in December.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Cova do Vapor 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 Cova do Vapor.