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Conditions at Steamer Lane in December
December: Peak Season, Powerful and Cold
December brings the full weight of winter to Santa Cruz. Average swell height reaches 2.2m (7ft) and average period stretches to 13.3s - one of the strongest monthly signatures of the year. The energy is dominated by WNW (43.0%) and W (16.2%) swells, with NW (6.9%) and even a hint of NNW (0.1%) providing variation; the long-period nature of these pulses makes the point refract and bow nicely. Wind is ideal 64% of the time, led by NNW (19.3%), NW (11.3%), NNE (12.4%) and WNW (6.8%). Frontal storms bring winter chill, with air temps averaging 9.5°C, precipitation at 3.39mm/day and water temperature at 12.1°C. When the sky clears after a front, N/NW winds groom the Lane into heavy, dredging, world-class shape.
Average Spot conditions at Steamer Lane in December
Swell history for December
Wind history for December
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Steamer Lane 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 Steamer Lane for your next trip in December.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Steamer Lane 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 Steamer Lane.