Los Locos seasonal overview
Best Surf Season (October - March)
The North Atlantic does the heavy lifting from October through March. Average wave heights climb to 1.6-2.1m (5-7ft) and the average period sits comfortably between 11.3s and 12.9s, putting Los Locos directly in the path of powerful W, WNW, NW and NNW groundswell. Frequent low-pressure systems tracking toward the Bay of Biscay generate consistent, heavy surf, while south and south-west winds ahead of those systems groom the faces. When the North Atlantic Oscillation shifts negative, the storm track drops further south and this west-northwest-facing beach genuinely fires. These are the months locals circle on the calendar.
Fair Surf Season (April - May & September)
The shoulder months are a game of patience and timing. April still produces average wave heights around 1.5m (5ft) with a period near 10.8s, and September sees the first real return of autumn energy at 1.3m (4ft) with 10.4s periods. May sits on the summer side of the transition, but frequent NW pulses keep it from going flat. Winds are lighter and the water is warmer, yet the consistency and raw power of winter are missing. The right window can produce clean, rippable waves, but you have to work for them.
Low Surf Season (June - August)
Summer sees the Azores High strengthen and the Atlantic storm track retreat north. Average wave heights fall to around 1.0m (3ft) and periods drop to 9s, leaving Los Locos with a diet of small NW pulses and afternoon seabreezes. The exposure still means there is almost always something to ride, but it is often groveling, soft and easily chopped by onshore W/WNW flow. Dawn patrol with a summer board and low expectations is the move. These are the months for logging, foiling, or waiting for an autumn hurricane swell to break the routine.