Playa Zicatela - surf spot statistics

Best Surf Season (June - September)

The heart of the Zicatela season aligns with the Northern Hemisphere summer, when the south Pacific storm track drives consistent, powerful SSW-to-SW groundswell. Average wave heights hover around 1.6-1.7m and periods remain long (13+ seconds), producing pumping sets that unload on the Mexican coastline. Crucially, the regional wind regime turns favorable — the Tehuantepec gap winds weaken in this period, allowing a higher percentage of offshore flow from the north and northeast. This translates to clean, groomed waves with minimal chop. Ideal wind frequency peaks at 42% in July and August, meaning nearly half the days offer glassy conditions. If you’re chasing the classic Zicatela wedge with shape and power, this window delivers the best blend of size and smooth surfaces.

Fair Surf Season (April - May & October - November)

Shoulder months bring a trade-off: swell energy remains robust, especially in April and May when the average height climbs to 1.5-1.6m and periods stretch to 14+ seconds. However, the wind often fights back. April sees ideal offshore flow only 9% of the time, with onshore WSW and W winds dominating over 40% of the month. This creates bumpy or wind-chopped conditions, though the underlying power remains. October and November offer a slight uptick in favorable wind (33-35% ideal), combined with still-solid 1.3-1.5m averages. These months are for the patient surfer — pick the clean windows and you’ll be rewarded with long-period SSW swell, but be prepared to sit out more onshore days than in peak season.

Low Surf Season (December - March)

Winter’s grip on the Pacific’s southern hemisphere storm tracks weakens, and Zicatela feels it. Average swell heights drop to 1.1-1.2m, and although the long-period characteristics persist (13-13.6s), the consistent fun-sized and small days increase. The wind picture is mixed: strong offshore flow from the north is common (December and January have 31% and 27% ideal conditions, respectively), but when the swell is small, even clean waves struggle to offer more than groveling conditions. February and March see a further decline in ideal wind (21% and 13%) as the westerly quadrant picks up, spoiling the wave face. This season is best suited for loggers, beginners, or those looking to avoid the crowds — but real pumping Zicatela is on hold.

January: The Onset of Winter Swell

January delivers an average swell height of 1.2m with a long-period average of 13.0s, meaning that when a proper SSW groundswell lines up, the waves pack punch beyond their size. Dominant swell directions come from the SSW (33.4% of all swell events) and SW (17.0%), both squarely in the optimal window for Playa Zicatela’s WSW exposure. However, the swell distribution skews toward the 1-1.5m range (22.9% of SSW swell falls here), so the sets are often fun-sized rather than pumping. The wind regime features frequent northwesterly flow: NW (17.7%), WNW (12.7%), and NNW (11.5%) combine for over 40% of observations. NW and NNW are offshore for this beach, providing clean conditions on many days. Still, onshore winds from the SW and WSW (totaling ~14%) can put a chop on the face. Ideal wind occurs 27% of the time — moderate reliability. Look for days with north wind and a building SSW swell to score semi-clean, powerful lefts.