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.

February: Consistency with a Side of Storm

February mirrors January's intensity: 2.0m average swell and a 12.8s period, with NW (32.5%) and WNW (20.3%) once again leading the charge. The distribution of wave heights shows a sweet spot in the 1.5-2.5m range, perfect for big-wave performance boards. What shifts slightly is the wind regime – ideal offshore winds from the S and SSW account for 19.2% combined, while onshore NW-WNW winds total 16.6%. The key difference is a small increase in lighter winds (10-20kph) from the S sector, making for more manageable conditions. Yet the North Atlantic remains volatile: deep low pressures can generate strong onshore NW gales, but the passage of cold fronts often ushers in a rapid shift to southwest flow. Surfers need to be weather-wise, watching for high-pressure building from the west to trigger that coveted glassy offshore window. NAO negative phases are your friend here, pushing the storm track south and funneling clean southwest winds into the Cantabrian Sea.