Mekakoz - surf spot statistics

Best Surf Season (October - March)

The North Atlantic delivers its full fury during these months, with average swell heights climbing to 1.5-2.1m and long-period energy (10-14s) dominating. The beach's NW exposure captures the lion's share of powerful NW, WNW, and NNW swells generated by relentless extratropical cyclones tracking across the North Atlantic. The challenge, however, is the wind: persistent onshore NW flow often ruins the shape. Yet when a strong high pressure cells over central Europe or a low stalls in the Bay of Biscay, southerly offshore winds (S, SSW, SW, WSW) clean up the lines, producing pumping, hollow waves in the 1.5-2.5m range. These are the windows of magic at Mekakoz, often coinciding with negative NAO phases that steer storms further south and amplify southwest flow. Ideal wind percentages hover around 30-38%, making every clean day a treasure.

Fair Surf Season (April, May, September)

As winter's grip loosens, swell heights drop to 1.2-1.4m and periods shorten to 9-11s. The NW exposure still catches plenty of swell, but the energy is more inconsistent, often coming in shorter bursts from passing fronts. April and May see a gradual transition to lighter winds, with offshore breezes from the S and SSW becoming slightly more frequent (29% ideal). The waves become fun-sized and rippable in the 1-1.5m range, though the occasional larger pulse can still light up the spot. September signals the reawakening of the Atlantic, with a sharp uptick in long-period swell (10.3s average) and the highest ideal wind percentage of the year at 36% – a sweet spot for quality surf as the summer crowds thin.

Low Surf Season (June - August)

Summer settles in with average swell heights of just 1.0m and periods sinking to 8.8-9.2s. The dominant swells are still from the NW quadrant, but most of the energy is small and weak, with over 60% of waves under 1m. The wind patterns shift dramatically: persistent northeasterly trade winds (NE, ENE) blow onshore a significant portion of the time, though there are still enough days with light S-SSW breezes (around 28-31% ideal) to scrape by with groveler boards. This is the season for loggers and longboarders, or for those comfortable chasing micro-swell at sunrise before the wind picks up. The occasional distant storm can still send a fun 1-1.5m pulse, but reliable quality on a daily basis is rare.

December: The Winter Solstice Swell

December delivers the goods: average swell height of 2.0m and a long-period average of 12.4s. NW (29.6%) and WNW (20.4%) remain the primary swell directions, with a solid 18% of waves in the 1.5-2m range and 13% in the 2-2.5m range. The wind pattern is similar to January: onshore NW-WNW winds blow over 17% of the time, but strong southerly flows from S (12.2%), SSW (16.5%), and SW (6%) provide ample opportunity for offshore conditions. The ideal wind percentage holds at 30%. December's storms are among the most intense, with the potential for XXL swells over 2.5m (1.1% from NW alone). When a polar low drops south and merges with a warm front, the result can be a massive NW swell accompanied by gale-force onshore winds – best left to the experts. But when the high pressure builds over Europe, the south wind cleans it up, and the beach turns into a powerful, hollow playground. This is the season for charging big waves at Mekakoz.