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Conditions at Bournemouth in December
December: Peak Power on the Dorset Coast
December matches January for the largest average swell at 1.5m (5ft) and pushes periods to 7.4s, so the beach is rarely without waves. WSW (20.9%) and SW (17.9%) dominate, and the favourable SE/SSE/S/SSW quadrant contributes 13.8%, enough for decent south in the swell mix. The trade-off is wind: the ideal N/NNE/NW/NNW offshore window drops back to 18%, while SW (11.6%) and WSW (14.7%) remain the dominant onshore flow. Cold fronts move through relentlessly, driving 3.30 mm/day of rain, air temps of 8.7°C and water temps of 10.6°C. The short-period nature of the waves means they can be lumpy and closed-out in onshore conditions, but a strong north wind, a negative NAO, and a bit of S/SSW swell is the recipe for some feisty, bank-breaking Dorset power.
Average Spot conditions at Bournemouth in December
Swell history for December
Wind history for December
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Bournemouth 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 Bournemouth for your next trip in December.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Bournemouth 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 Bournemouth.