Popoyo - surf spot statistics

Best Surf Season (April - October)

From mid-spring through mid-autumn, Popoyo fires on all cylinders as the southern hemisphere storms churn out long-period groundswells that march directly into the beach's SSW-facing window. April marks the turning point when the dominant swell direction shifts from the unfavourable north-east to the sweet spot of S through SW. This period sees the highest percentage of offshore wind conditions (up to 40% in October) as the Pacific trade winds relax and light ENE breezes frequently groom the faces. Expect consistent 1–1.5m surf with powerful 12–14s periods – ideal for both intermediate cruising and high-performance ripping.

Fair Surf Season (March & November)

March and November sit squarely in the shoulder seasons, offering a mix of conditions. March still sees a sizeable chunk of ENE swell (32%) but southern hemisphere pulses begin to appear, while November carries the tail end of the southern swell train (SW 17%, SSW 21%) but with a drop in average period to 11.5s. Wind conditions become more transitional: ideal offshore breezes occur 9% of the time in March and 25% in November, but stronger trade wind episodes can still create bumpy textures. Good windows exist but require close forecast monitoring.

Low Surf Season (December - February)

The core winter months are dominated by a powerful north-east trade wind regime that blows directly onshore (ENE wind 60–70% of the time at 20–40kph) and pushes a low-quality, short-period windswell from the NE and ENE. Average wave periods hover around 8–9s, producing choppy, weak surf. Only 4–7% of the time do ideal offshore winds align, and when they do, the swell direction is rarely optimal. Small, clean days are rare and often require a major southerly swell to sneak through – a gamble at best.

January: Deep Winter, Strong Trades

January is the heart of the dry season, with the intertropical convergence zone sitting far south and a persistent high pressure system over the Caribbean driving strong ENE trades. These winds blow 65% of the time at 30–40kph, creating a raked, bumpy surface that spoils wave quality. The swell is almost entirely from the NE and ENE (76% combined), averaging 1.4m but with a short period of just 8.0s – making it weak and lumpy. Only 4% of sessions see ideal offshore breezes. The rare clean wave comes when a southerly storm pushes a small S-SSW swell into the window, but those events are fleeting and small (<1.5m).