Surf seasons · month by month

Where to surf in January

Of the 97 breaks we score, 28 are in season in January: the month sits inside their best band of the year, from years of hindcast. Ranked by how many January days are actually surfable. Fares are round trips we have observed, not estimates.

In season in January

1 Santa Teresa · Costa Rica 3–5 ft faces on a median day · surfable about 100% of January days · 29 C / 84 F, [object Object] · holds near its best all year Seen from $358 round trip out of JAX in January 2 Sayulita · Mexico 2–4 ft faces on a median day · surfable about 100% of January days · 25 C / 77 F, [object Object] Seen from $446 round trip out of BWI in January 3 Dominical · Costa Rica 2–4 ft faces on a median day · surfable about 99% of January days · 29 C / 84 F, [object Object] · holds near its best all year Seen from $358 round trip out of JAX in January 4 Steamer Lane · USA 6–8 ft faces on a median day · surfable about 99% of January days · 13 C / 55 F, [object Object] Seen from $356 round trip out of JAX in January 5 Anchor Point, Taghazout · Morocco 4–6 ft faces on a median day · surfable about 98% of January days · 18 C / 64 F, [object Object] 6 C Street · USA 3–5 ft faces on a median day · surfable about 98% of January days · 14 C / 58 F, [object Object] Seen from $411 round trip out of JFK in January 7 Swami's · USA 3–5 ft faces on a median day · surfable about 98% of January days · 15 C / 59 F, [object Object] Seen from $337 round trip out of BWI in January 8 Huntington Beach Pier · USA 3–5 ft faces on a median day · surfable about 97% of January days · 15 C / 58 F, [object Object] · holds near its best all year Seen from $328 round trip out of JAX in January 9 Barra de la Cruz · Mexico 2–4 ft faces on a median day · surfable about 96% of January days · 28 C / 82 F, [object Object] · holds near its best all year Seen from $559 round trip out of LAX in January 10 El Sunzal · El Salvador 2–4 ft faces on a median day · surfable about 94% of January days · 29 C / 83 F, [object Object] · holds near its best all year Seen from $459 round trip out of JAX in January 11 Blacks Beach · USA 3–5 ft faces on a median day · surfable about 94% of January days · 15 C / 59 F, [object Object] Seen from $337 round trip out of BWI in January 12 Weligama · Sri Lanka 2–4 ft faces on a median day · surfable about 94% of January days · 28 C / 82 F, [object Object] 13 Imsouane (The Bay) · Morocco 5–7 ft faces on a median day · surfable about 92% of January days · 18 C / 64 F, [object Object] 14 La Saladita · Mexico 2–4 ft faces on a median day · surfable about 91% of January days · 28 C / 82 F, [object Object] · holds near its best all year 15 Banzai Pipeline · USA 8–10 ft faces on a median day · surfable about 90% of January days · 25 C / 77 F, [object Object] Seen from $295 round trip out of SEA in January 16 Playa Guiones · Costa Rica 2–4 ft faces on a median day · surfable about 90% of January days · 29 C / 84 F, [object Object] · holds near its best all year Seen from $323 round trip out of JFK in January 17 Scorpion Bay (San Juanico) · Mexico 2–4 ft faces on a median day · surfable about 89% of January days · 19 C / 67 F, [object Object] 18 Hossegor (La Graviere) · France 6–8 ft faces on a median day · surfable about 88% of January days · 13 C / 55 F, [object Object] 19 Mavericks · USA 10–12 ft faces on a median day · surfable about 78% of January days · 12 C / 54 F, [object Object] Seen from $106 round trip out of LAX in January 20 Ribeira d'Ilhas · Portugal 6–8 ft faces on a median day · surfable about 76% of January days · 16 C / 60 F, [object Object] 21 Westport (The Jetty) · USA 6–8 ft faces on a median day · surfable about 76% of January days · 9 C / 48 F, [object Object] Seen from $377 round trip out of JFK in January 22 Côte des Basques · France 3–5 ft faces on a median day · surfable about 75% of January days · 13 C / 55 F, [object Object] 23 El Cotillo (Piedra Playa) · Spain 5–7 ft faces on a median day · surfable about 73% of January days · 20 C / 68 F, [object Object] 24 The Pass, Byron Bay · Australia 3–5 ft faces on a median day · surfable about 72% of January days · 26 C / 78 F, [object Object] 25 Supertubos, Peniche · Portugal 6–8 ft faces on a median day · surfable about 69% of January days · 15 C / 60 F, [object Object] 26 Tonel, Sagres · Portugal 5–7 ft faces on a median day · surfable about 69% of January days · 16 C / 61 F, [object Object] 27 Famara · Spain 5–7 ft faces on a median day · surfable about 68% of January days · 20 C / 69 F, [object Object] 28 Cape Hatteras · USA 1–3 ft faces on a median day · surfable about 41% of January days · 12 C / 53 F, [object Object] · holds near its best all year Seen from $171 round trip out of BWI in January

Months are medians from years of hindcast, not a forecast (how we read the hindcast). A median tells you when to plan a trip, not what a given week will do. Fares move daily; treat an observed fare as evidence of what the route does in January, not a quote. Taking a board? Airline board fees · will your bag fit.

The right week inside January is the whole game

A month page can tell you where the season is. BarrelFare watches the live forecast and the live fare at every one of these breaks, and tells you when a cheap flight lands on real swell.

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