Conditions at Sagres in December
December: Winter's Peak Power and Big Atlantic Swell
December joins January as the pinnacle of the Sagres surf year. Average swell is 8ft (2.4m) with a 12.6s period, and the ideal-wind percentage is 23%. The swell rose shows NW 23.7%, WNW 15.1%, NNW 10.9%, W 5.2%, plus the largest direct S/SE window of the year-SE 0.9%, SSE 0.6%, S 0.5%, SSW 0.8%, and SW 1.2%-so when the storm track shifts south, Sagres picks up genuine south-southeast lines. More often it still comes as strong NW groundswell wrapping around the cape.
Winds in December are the most mixed: NNW 14.9%, NNE 9.2%, N 7.1%, E 7.6%, ESE 8.0%, SE 5.2%, SW 4.8%, and WSW 4.7%. That is why only 23% of the time is ideal-there are plenty of onshore or cross-shore moments between the good windows. Water temp is 16.6°C, air is 14.9°C (8.2-20.0°C), and rain is the highest of the year at 2.97mm/day. Big waves await the surfer who can pick the high-pressure breaks and avoid the storm fronts.
Average Spot conditions at Sagres in December
Swell history for December
Wind history for December
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Sagres 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 Sagres for your next trip in December.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Sagres 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 Sagres.