La Bocana - surf spot statistics

Best Surf Season (November - February)

This is the golden window at La Bocana. The North Pacific high-pressure system strengthens, driving consistent offshore winds from the N, NNE, and NW quadrants. Combined with Southern Hemisphere groundswell arriving from the SSW and S directions, the result is clean, long-period swells (12-13s) wrapping into the bay. Ideal wind percentages hover at 70% in Nov-Dec and remain above 60% through Feb. Expect fun, rippable waves in the 1-1.5m range, with occasional bigger sets. The water is warm, the crowd is manageable, and the conditions are as reliable as it gets.

Fair Surf Season (March - April & July - October)

During spring and fall, the trade wind patterns become more variable. In March and April, the average swell height edges up to 1.2m and periods stretch to 14s, but ideal wind drops to near 57-59%, making for a mix of clean mornings and afternoon onshores. July offers a surprising return of good conditions, with 63% offshore winds and consistent 1.3m S-SSW swell. August through October sees a gradual transition: swell remains solid (1.3-1.4m, 13s), but ideal wind percentages dip to 52-59%. The best sessions come during strong high-pressure setups that lock in northerly flows.

Low Surf Season (May - June & September)

These months represent the trough of wind reliability. While the swell is at its annual peak (1.4m average with periods of 13-14s), ideal offshore winds only blow 52% of the time. The Intertropical Convergence Zone shifts north, increasing humidity and promoting onshore southerly flows that can chop up the surface. However, when a cold front pushes down from the north or a strong high settles in, La Bocana can still deliver powerful, long-period waves – it just requires more patience and careful forecast watching.

May: Big Swell, Tricky Winds

May sees the largest average swell of the year at 1.4m with a period of 14.2s – true groundswell. The SSW direction accounts for an enormous 87.5% of all waves, with 20.3% in the 1.5-2m range and 1.9% over 2.5m. This is heavy, powerful surf. Unfortunately, ideal offshore winds occur only 52% of the time. The wind pattern becomes more variable, with a notable increase in E/ESE flows (10.7% and 8.4% respectively) which are side-shore but can be workable. Onshore S, SSW, and SW winds are still low (total ~17%). The challenge is that the strong offshore NNE flow of winter weakens significantly (only 4.9% NNE). Still, early morning offshore NW and NNW breezes (9.7% and 6.3%) provide clean conditions at dawn. If you can pick your windows, May offers some of the biggest, most powerful waves of the year.