Backyards • Statistics for December

December: Winter's Full Effect

December brings the full winter swell machine to Backyards. Average height hits 8.9ft (2.7m) - tied for the year's peak - and the average period is 12.4s, squarely in powerful, long-period territory. The pattern mirrors January: NNW is the heavy hitter at 14.1%, with NW 4.1%, N 4.1%, and a strong supporting cast of NNE/NE/ENE swells. This deep north-northwest groundswell is exactly what this northwest-facing break needs for maximum size and shape. The wind still has trade energy, with ENE at 24.8% and E at 29.1%, but the offshore S/SSW/SW/WSW sector is the most consistent since spring, totaling 10.5%, and ideal surfing wind is 24%. With water temperature at 24.8°C and air temperature 23.6°C, December produces the first classic 8-12ft (2.4-3.7m) days of the season at Backyards. Rain is also on the rise at 2.29mm/day as front after front rolls off the US East Coast and into the Atlantic, each one aiming swell toward the island.