The water is from flat to choppy, with shore break from 0.5 to 2 meters and some real waves close to the point on the western side of the beach. The waves are best in the wet season (January to April) with anything between 1 and 3 meters being normal. The waves are as consistent as any other surf destination in the world. In the dry season waves are smaller, although with “Aguajes†or seasonal periods of higher tides and stronger seas, you can get good waves. The water here can be very shallow with rocks underneath. Barbasquillo is the beach upwind from el Murciélago. The wind in Manta is created by a strong thermal effect. The area around Manta is very dry; it has one of the lowest rainfall averages on the coast. This, combined with the strong equatorial sun, makes the air over the interior heat up a lot. Meanwhile the water is relatively cool, so there is a high pressure difference between the hot air over land and the cooler air over sea which creates the strong thermal winds. The wind usually starts picking up around 11am, and from 10am or so it'’s already good for taking lessons. It reaches its peak at around 1-2pm and lasts until approximately 4-4:30pm. In the dry season (June to November/December) the water temperature is cooler, creating stronger winds. Expect anything from 15 to 25 knots. In the wet season (January to May) the water temperature is warmer, so the wind is not that strong. However, as the air temperature is higher as well, there are windy days during these months too (winds generally between 8-18 knots). Wind direction is mostly W and SW, which means it blows sideonshore to sideshore from the left most of the time. The wind gets very patchy here, making it difficult to ride. In general the weather in this area is warm, with air temperatures averaging 25-30°C (77-86°F). In the dry season (June to November/December) the water temperature is cooler, 21-24°C (70-75°F). In the wet season (January to May) the water temperature is warmer, 25-28°C (77-82°F). A wetsuit is not necessary in general, although during the cooler days of the dry season some people might want to wear a shorty. Water: Shallow, Flat, Chop, Smallwave, Mediumwave. Features: Parking. Rider ability: Intermediate, Expert.
8 kn
SW · gusts 18 kn
0.9 m
7s period
0.6 m
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Updated 24/08/2026, 02:10:57
Data: Open-Meteo
In the dry season waves are smaller, although with “Aguajes†or seasonal periods of higher tides and stronger seas, you can get good waves. The water here can be very shallow with rocks underneath.
Source: Kiteforum.com (community-contributed). Verify locally before riding.
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