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Conditions at Still Bay in December
December: Summer Heat, Onshore Trades and the Odd Jewel
December is the height of the summer low season. Average swell height settles back to 1.9m (6ft), period drops to 10.6s, and ideal wind time is a sparse 16%. The direction mix is still mostly favourable in terms of swell - SSW (28.4%), SW (20.4%), S (14.2%), SSE (10.3%) and SE (7.9%) - but the dominant E/ESE wind flow (32.2%) makes it hard for those waves to present cleanly on the beach. Water temperature climbs to a pleasant 20.0°C and air temperature averages 20.1°C, so it is boardshorts or a springsuit, but the afternoon sea breeze is almost a daily occurrence. Look for the early-morning glass-off before the trades kick in, or the rare day when the South Atlantic high slips far enough east to allow N-NNW flow. On those days, a lingering SSW groundswell can still deliver solid 6ft (1.8m) waves in clean, warm sunshine.
Rainfall is low at 0.75mm/day, making December more about chasing the wind windows than dodging weather.
Average Spot conditions at Still Bay in December
Swell history for December
Wind history for December
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Still Bay 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 Still Bay for your next trip in December.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Still Bay 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 Still Bay.