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Conditions at Papenoo in December
December: North Swell Season Arrives in Earnest
December kicks off the best months of the year at Papenoo. The average height is 1.6m (5ft), but the average period jumps back to 12.1s and, more importantly, the N-NNW-NW swell window leaps to around 17-18 percent, with the adjacent NNE and NE sectors adding another 19 percent. That means a solid third of the wave energy is coming from the northern half of the compass, and the longest-period pulses start to pour onto the north coast with real power.
Trade winds still blow from E and ENE around 38 percent of the time, but ideal offshore conditions reach 16 percent, and the frequent tropical showers of the wet season (7.52mm/day) can create local wind shifts. Air temperature averages 26.6°C and water temperature is 28.1°C. The reefs can handle anything from clean 3-5ft (1-1.5m) rippable waves to heavy 6-8ft (1.8-2.4m) northwest groundswell, making December a month to clear the calendar.
Average Spot conditions at Papenoo in December
Swell history for December
Wind history for December
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Papenoo during December. Based on historical data, there is a % probability of groundswell occurring this month. The chart below provides a detailed breakdown of the average wave height distribution, offering deep insights into the swell quality and surf potential you can expect at Papenoo for your next trip in December.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Papenoo for December. Our analysis shows that favorable offshore or side-shore winds coincide with surfable swell approximately % of the time. The accompanying graph illustrates the average size distribution of waves during these optimal wind windows at Papenoo.