Santa Comba - surf spot statistics

Best Surf Season (October - March)

The North Atlantic awakens with a vengeance during these months, delivering a steady barrage of powerful long-period swells. Average wave heights consistently exceed 2.5m, with periods often pushing into the 12-13s range, creating pumping, heavy surf. The dominant swell energy comes from the NW and WNW quadrants, perfectly aligned with the north-facing orientation of Santa Comba. Crucially, the frequency of offshore winds from the S, SSW, and SW climbs to its highest levels (often 30% or more), setting up clean, hollow waves. This is prime time to chase epic, long-period groundswells under crisp skies. The combination of robust storm activity in the North Atlantic and favorable synoptic wind patterns makes this the undisputed peak season.

Fair Surf Season (April & September)

These transitional months offer a mixed bag. Swell energy is still present but drops off noticeably, with average heights settling around 1.7-2.1m and periods in the 10-11s range – fun, punchy rather than firing. The NW and WNW swell windows remain active, and the percentage of ideal offshore winds hovers around 22-25%, so there are clean, rideable days. April tends to see more consistent size from lingering winter systems, while September benefits from early autumn storms. However, the overall reliability is lower, and you’ll need to pick your windows carefully for quality sessions.

Low Surf Season (May - August)

Summer settles in with a pronounced lull. Average swell heights drop to 1.3-1.7m, and periods shorten to 8-10s, delivering mostly choppy, low or at best fun-sized, groveling surf. Although the swell direction remains favorable from the NW and NNW, the wave heights rarely exceed 1.5m. The bigger issue is the wind: offshore flow from the S-SSW-SW becomes scarce (17-19%), while onshore winds from the north and northeast dominate. This combination leads to weak, wind-affected waves. A few clean mornings can still produce rippable waist-high surf, but expect long flat spells.

April: Transitional Size and Potential

April sees a noticeable drop in average wave energy to 2.1m and period to 10.9s – now in the fun, good category. Swell directions shift slightly, with WNW (18.0%), NW (17.1%), and NNW (14.2%) still dominating, but the heights are more frequently in the 1-2m range. Offshore winds occur 22% of the time, predominantly from SSW (9.0%) and SW (8.6%). The waning winter storms still send occasional groundswells, but the pattern becomes less consistent. Expect a mix of punchy waves and smaller days; a keen eye on synoptic charts can still yield excellent sessions with offshore winds and clean sets.