Conditions at Praia de Monte Gordo in March
March: Spring Shifts and SE Swell Peaks
March is a transition month. The average wave height remains respectable at 0.8m (2.6ft) and the period has eased to 7.4s, but the distribution begins to skew toward smaller, wind-driven swell. The favored SE direction peaks to its highest proportion of the winter-spring season at 14.0%, with 5.7% of all waves in the 0.5-1m (1.6-3.3ft) range and 5.0% in the 1-1.5m (3.3-4.9ft) range. Combined with SSE (6.3%), S (3.2%), and SSW (4.1%), the optimal swell window closes in around 27.6% - a healthy chunk. However, the prevailing W/WSW swells still dominate (W 16.3%, WSW 17.1%), and those don't hit Monte Gordo's window as efficiently.
Wind quality begins to drop as the Azores High reasserts itself. The ideal surf wind percentage slides to 36%, and while NNW (25.0%) and NW (9.1%) still blow offshore, the frequency of SSW/SW winds doubles compared to February, bringing afternoon onshores that kill the surf. Air temperature climbs to 14.8°C, rain remains at 1.94mm/day, and water temperature edges up to 15.8°C. Catch the dawn offshore window to score the SE swell.
Average Spot conditions at Praia de Monte Gordo in March
Swell history for March
Wind history for March
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Praia de Monte Gordo during March. 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 de Monte Gordo for your next trip in March.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Praia de Monte Gordo for March. 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 de Monte Gordo.