El Paso - surf spot statistics

Best Surf Season (February - March)

During the late austral summer, the South Pacific high pressure system occasionally relaxes its grip, allowing for the development of weak thermal lows over the interior of Peru. This subtle shift in pressure gradients brings a slight uptick in offshore wind events from the ENE to NNE quadrants. While still infrequent (peaking at 10% in March), these are the best windows to experience El Paso at its finest. Meanwhile, the Southern Ocean remains highly active, firing consistent SSW to SW swell with average heights of 1.5-1.6m and long periods around 13s. When the alignment of a clean E-NE breeze coincides with a powerful, long-period groundswell, the result is pristine, rippable waves in the 1-2m range.

Fair Surf Season (January & April)

January and April offer a transitional blend of solid swell and modest offshore wind opportunities. January sees average swell heights of 1.4m with a 13s period, while April bumps up to 1.7m with 13.6s – some of the year's most powerful swell. However, ideal wind frequency drops to 3-5%, meaning most days are marred by onshore S to SW breezes. The occasional lucky window can produce exceptional conditions, but patience is key.

Low Surf Season (May - December)

From May through December, the Southeast Pacific trade winds strengthen, locking in a persistent onshore flow from the S, SSW, and SW. Ideal offshore wind frequency plummets to 1-2% (or less), making clean conditions exceedingly rare. Even though the swell remains robust – averaging 1.6-1.9m with periods of 12-13s throughout this period – the constant onshore wind chops up the wave faces and reduces quality dramatically. Surfers willing to brave the wind may find fun-sized, punchy waves, but truly good sessions are few and far between. The heart of the southern hemisphere winter (June-August) delivers the biggest swell, but the wind is at its worst.

February: Peaking Potential

February sees a slight improvement in wind odds, with ideal conditions reaching 7% of the time – the second-highest of the year. The average swell bumps to 1.5m at 13.1 seconds, with an overwhelming 77% of the energy arriving from the SSW and another 22% from the SW. This is prime groundswell territory. The wind pattern still favors onshore S to SW breezes (over 75% of observations), but the increased frequency of offshore NE and E winds offers more legitimate scoring opportunities. When the stars align, expect powerful, long-period waves in the 1-2m range with clean faces. It's the month to be aggressive with your schedule.