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.

November: Winter's Momentum Builds

November sees a further uptick in swell energy: 1.8m average height and 11.8s period. NW (34.8%) and WNW (21.4%) once again dominate, with a significant portion of waves in the 1.5-2.5m range (20% between 1.5-2m and 13% between 2-2.5m and over). The wind, however, starts to turn more onshore: ideal offshore winds from S, SSW, and SW total 26.5%, but onshore NW-WNW winds increase to 17.1%. The ideal wind percentage drops to 29%. This month is a test of forecasting skills: the swell is big and powerful, but you need to find the windows when a transient high pressure system stalls over the Bay of Biscay, bringing light S winds. November can dish out some of the heaviest surf of the year, especially when a deep low pressure system parks itself west of Ireland and pumps long-period NW groundswell for days. Watch for setups with a negative NAO phase to increase the likelihood of offshore S winds.