Conditions at Playa de la Canteria in December
December: Deep Winter, Long Periods, and the Best Offshore Odds
December caps the year with the highest ideal wind percentage - 11 percent - and the return of deep winter rhythms. The average wave height is 1.6m (5ft) and the average period is 12.4 seconds, giving the beach some of the longest, most powerful swell of the year. The direction rose is a bit more mixed than mid-winter, with NNW at 24.7 percent, NNE at 22.2 percent, N at 12.1 percent, NW at 12.3 percent and WNW at 7.0 percent, so there is still plenty of direct N-NE energy. The 1.5-2m and 2-2.5m bands are well represented, which means bigger days become more common. The wind distribution is the least onshore of the year: NNE at 16.4 percent, NE at 22.1 percent, but also a much higher share of S/SSW/SW/WSW flow. When the synoptic setup is right - high pressure over Europe and a low over the Atlantic - you can get clean offshore conditions with long-period, powerful surf. Air temps average 18.9°C, water temperature drops to 20.1°C, and precipitation is highest at 0.65mm/day, so bring a hooded 4/3 and be ready for rain.
Average Spot conditions at Playa de la Canteria in December
Swell history for December
Wind history for December
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Playa de la Canteria 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 Playa de la Canteria for your next trip in December.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Playa de la Canteria 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 Playa de la Canteria.