Conditions at Ribeira d'Ilhas in October
October: The North Atlantic Roars Back
October is one of the most exciting months on the Portuguese surf calendar. The North Atlantic storm track dips south again as the Icelandic Low deepens and the Azores High retreats, and the average surf height jumps to 2.0m (6.5ft) with the period climbing back to 11.4s. While the strongest directional source is still NW (30.6%), there is also a healthy 19.5% from NNW and 18.6% from WNW, plus a notable increase in pure westerly energy. This is the sweet spot for Ribeira: the west-southwest-facing beach sees plenty of W and WNW swell, and the long-period component brings power and shape. Wind is also on the improve - offshore quadrant winds (NE, ENE, E, ESE) make up about 12% of observations, and clean time is rated at 26%. Water is still warm at 18.1°C, air averages 17.6°C, and the first autumn rains arrive with 2.62mm/day. October delivers some of the best combinations of size, period and atmosphere all year.
Average Spot conditions at Ribeira d'Ilhas in October
Swell history for October
Wind history for October
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Ribeira d'Ilhas during October. 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 Ribeira d'Ilhas for your next trip in October.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Ribeira d'Ilhas for October. 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 Ribeira d'Ilhas.