Conditions at Sao Lourenco in December
December: Climax of the Portuguese Winter
December delivers the strongest combination of size, period and clean wind of the entire year. Average swell height reaches 2.5m (8.2ft), average period is 12.7s, and ideal wind is at its seasonal max of 25 percent. The dominant swell directions are NW (21.2 percent), WNW (15.2 percent), NNW (11.3 percent) and W (6.1 percent), with WSW adding another 3.0 percent - a near-perfect spread across the spot's exposure.
Unlike summer, offshore winds from the east-southeast occur frequently, especially during high pressure over Iberia. When the wind is light and offshore, long-period groundswell wraps into the beach in clean, powerful, often XL lines in the 2-3m (6.6-9.8ft) range. Water temperature drops to 14.9°C and air sits at 12.3°C. This is the month to plan around for heavy, firing sessions.
Average Spot conditions at Sao Lourenco in December
Swell history for December
Wind history for December
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Sao Lourenco 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 Sao Lourenco for your next trip in December.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Sao Lourenco 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 Sao Lourenco.