Spessard Holland • Statistics for December

December: Holiday Swells and Cold-Front Gold

December closes the year strong, with an average swell height of 3ft (0.9m) and a solid 8.6s period. ENE and E swells share the load at 24% and 23% respectively, with NE at 15% and NNE at 9%. This is the classic winter set-up: reinforcing pulses of North Atlantic northeast groundswell arriving through the ENE window, often after a low pressure system has deepened off the Mid-Atlantic coast. The largest swell classes-3-5ft (1-1.5m) and even 5-6ft (1.5-1.8m)-are well represented, and there is a better chance of seeing consistent, rideable surf day after day.

Wind is the best of the season, with ideal offshore conditions at 22% of the time. The best waves typically arrive in the wake of a cold front, when the wind eases or clocks around into the W/SW quadrant and the lingering ENE swell lines up along the sandbar. Water temp drops to 73°F (22.8°C), air temp averages 66°F (19.1°C), and the holiday season provides plenty of cold-front passages. For the east-central Florida surfer, December is one of the most reliable months to keep the board in the water.