El Murcielago

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 southern side of the beach (Barbasquillo). The waves are best in the wet season (January to April) with anything between 1 and 3 meters being normal. Ecuadorian waves, during the wet season… 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. There’s a big extent of flat water after the shore break and an area with a sand bank where there'’s a beach break. El Murciélago is the beach closest to the city, 5 minutes walk from the center of town. Nice and wide beach, no rocks, or pebbles. This beach was host to the 1991 South American Windsurfing Championship. 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. 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: Flat, Chop, Smallwave, Mediumwave. Features: Toilet, Food, Parking. Rider ability: Intermediate, Expert.

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