Balao 29.0
#5374 of 5753 surf spots in the world · 🇪🇨 Ecuador · Esmeraldas · near Esmeraldas
Needs the right swell, wind is the enemy here, peaks in January.
Warm waterRemoteBeginner
Surf score29.0 /100
Surfable days34% of the year
Clean days0% groundswell + friendly wind
Groundswell0% period 11 s+
Typical size0.6 m 1.8 ft median
Water27°C boardshorts
Best time to surf Balao
The best time to surf Balao is January, February, December. It rarely works. In January the water sits around 26°C, so pack boardshorts, and the typical wave is 0.6 m. The nearest airport is UIO (182 km) and the nearest town is Esmeraldas (6 km).
| Month | Surfable | Clean | Size | Water | Suit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59% | 2% | 0.6 m | 26°C | boardies |
| Feb | 50% | 2% | 0.6 m | 27°C | boardies |
| Mar | 21% | 0% | 0.5 m | 27°C | boardies |
| Apr | 8% | 0% | 0.4 m | 27°C | boardies |
| May | 16% | 0% | 0.5 m | 28°C | boardies |
| Jun | 25% | 0% | 0.6 m | 28°C | boardies |
| Jul | 15% | 0% | 0.5 m | 27°C | boardies |
| Aug | 27% | 0% | 0.6 m | 27°C | boardies |
| Sep | 41% | 0% | 0.6 m | 27°C | boardies |
| Oct | 54% | 0% | 0.6 m | 26°C | boardies |
| Nov | 53% | 0% | 0.6 m | 26°C | boardies |
| Dec | 35% | 1% | 0.6 m | 26°C | boardies |
Why 29.0
Seven parts, each normalised 0 to 1 and weighted; the sum is scaled so the best spot in the world is 100.
Consistency 26%
8.6
Clean days 24%
0.0
Groundswell 12%
0.0
Season spread 10%
2.7
Wave size 8%
0.2
Water comfort 10%
10.0
Access 10%
6.7
The detail
Faces 335° with 56% open water around it. Friendly morning wind 82% of days. Mean peak period 9.3 s. Days over 3 m: 0%. Mellow days (0.4 to 1.2 m): 95%. Months that work: 4 of 12. Coordinates 0.985, -79.676 (OpenStreetMap).
Spots nearby
El Bajo🇪🇨 Ecuador · score 29.1Tonsupa🇪🇨 Ecuador · score 83.9Atacames🇪🇨 Ecuador · score 90.4Casa Blanca🇪🇨 Ecuador · score 91.9
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