Conditions at Praia da Barra in January
January: Midwinter Muscle
January pulls no punches at Praia da Barra. The average wave height is a solid 8ft (2.5m) and the average period reaches 12.9s, putting this month firmly in long-period, powerful territory. Swell direction is dominated by WNW and NW, which together account for over 40 percent of the recorded energy, with W and NNW adding another 13 percent. These are true North Atlantic groundswells, generated by deep lows moving across the shipping lanes. With the beach facing west, WNW is the standout; the nearby NW component still wraps in with enough period to produce clean, powerful surf. Offshore winds from the NE/ENE/E/ESE quadrant blow 50 percent of the time, so when the window opens the beach break lines up with clean, hollow walls. Water temperature drops to 13.7°C and rain is frequent, but the reward is the most consistent heavy surf of the year.
Average Spot conditions at Praia da Barra in January
Swell history for January
Wind history for January
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Praia da Barra 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 Praia da Barra for your next trip in January.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Praia da Barra 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 Praia da Barra.