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.

January: The Atlantic's Peak Punch

January is the heart of winter, and Mekakoz feels every bit of it. Average swell height hits 2.1m with a long-period average of 12.8s, meaning the NW exposure is hammered by powerful, groundswell lines primarily from the NW (31% of all swell) and WNW (21.1%). The combined NW-WNW-NNW directions make up over 61% of the energy, and nearly all of it falls into the 1.5-2.5m range – what we'd call pumping to firing conditions. However, the wind is the wild card. Onshore N, NW, and WNW winds blow collectively over 26% of the time, often ruining the shape with chop. The saving grace is the strong southerly component: winds from S (10.4%), SSW (14.8%), and SW (5.8%) combine for over 30% offshore conditions, especially when a high pressure ridge sets up over the continent. On those days, the spot turns on, offering long, clean walls. The low-pressure systems that dominate this month can also produce massive XL days over 2.5m (NW and WNW combined 1.7%), but these often come with storm-force onshore winds – for the brave and experienced only.