La Boya - surf spot statistics

Best Surf Season (September - October)

While La Boya is not blessed with a classic surf window, the late summer and early fall offer the highest probability of clean, rideable conditions. During these months, the trade wind regime begins to weaken, and the chance of offshore flow from the SW-WNW peaks at 8-10%. This is the only time of year when the prevailing onshore easterly wind relents enough to groom the persistent easterly swell into a more organized shape. The swell heights average 0.8-0.9m with short periods (5.9s), so waves are small and mushy, but when the offshore wind aligns, the surface smooths out and you can find fun, groveling waves. It's the prime window for light-wind sessions on a log or a fish.

Fair Surf Season (November - March)

As winter takes hold, the North Atlantic cranks up the swell engine, and La Boya sees an uptick in average wave heights to 1.1m and periods improve to the 6-7s range. The dominant swell direction remains locked in from the E-ESE, meaning most waves arrive directly onshore. However, the winter months bring a greater variety of swell angles, with occasional pulses of ENE and even NE swell that can wrap into the bay with a bit more punch. The downside is that offshore wind probabilities drop to 3-6%, and the trade winds (N-NE) blow strong 20-30% of the time, creating choppy, bumpy conditions. If you time a cold front passage that swings the wind behind it into the SW-WNW, you can score short-period, but punchy waves in the 1-1.5m range that are surprisingly fun for a beachbreak.

Low Surf Season (April - August)

The heart of the year is dominated by a stagnant pattern of onshore trades and small, short-period swell. Average heights hover around 1.0m but with periods often below 6s, and the wind blows from the north through east over 80% of the time. This combination produces choppy, messy, and often blown-out conditions. The chance of an offshore wind drops to a paltry 1-5%, and when it does happen, it is usually very light and short-lived. Swell from favorable directions (WNW-WSW) is virtually non-existent (less than 0.1% in any month). During these months, La Boya is best suited for beginners or longboarders on small, clean days that are few and far between. A groundswell from a distant hurricane or tropical storm can occasionally send a longer-period E swell that breaks with more shape, but these are rare and unpredictable.

July: The Doldrums

July is the worst month of the year for La Boya. The chance of ideal wind drops to a meager 1%. The swell is almost exclusively from the ESE (70%) and E (26%), with 1.1m average height and 6.4s period. Over 50% of the swell is in the 0.5-1.5m range, so not big, but completely onshore and messy. The wind blows from NNE-NE 42% of the time, often 10-20kph. There is essentially no window for quality surfing. If you are in town, look for a brief morning glass-off before the trades kick in – the only time the east swell might look rideable.