Where to Go in January: Best Watersports Bases
by Yannick SchrothAug 5, 20267 min read
Photo: Serg Alesenko via Pexels (free licence).
For the checked numbers and their sources, follow the guide for that place.
How we chose
January is the month where hemispheres disagree most, so the list is short and the reasons are specific. January is the northern winter at its most polarised. North-east trades are established across the Caribbean and Sri Lanka's east sleeps while its south works; Indonesia sits in the wet. Every base here is included because its own guide names January as part of its working window, not because the weather is generally nice, and where a place is marginal we say so rather than padding the list to a round number.
Boracay
The Amihan (northeast monsoon) blows side-onshore at Bulabog roughly November to April, peaking December to February.
Kite season peakRead the guide → 24°03′N 109°59′W · Kite & windLa Ventana
The El Norte wind fills in most afternoons from roughly November to March, and the whole town runs on it.
Reliable El Norte windRead the guide → 11°20′N 124°07′E · DivingMalapascua
Threshers show at the dawn cleaning station all year, but the calmest seas and clearest water fall roughly January to April.
Calmest, clearest windowRead the guide → 0°14′S 130°31′E · DivingRaja Ampat
December to February is the calmest window, with the highest odds of mantas at the Dampier Strait cleaning stations.
Calm seas, manta oddsRead the guide → 5°58′N 80°25′E · Surf & divingSri Lanka south coast
The main south-coast surf season runs roughly November to April, the same window as the Mirissa whale tours.
South-coast seasonRead the guide → 18°20′N 67°15′W · SurfRincón
North Atlantic winter storms fire long-period swell into Rincon's points from roughly December through April.
Winter swellRead the guide → 6°16′S 39°32′E · KitesurfingPaje, Zanzibar
The Kaskazi (northeast) wind runs roughly December to February, and January often has the best visibility.
Kaskazi windRead the guide → 12°13′N 72°10′W · KitesurfingCabo de la Vela
The wind season runs roughly December to August, with the strongest, steadiest trades December to March.
Strongest tradesRead the guide →Also good in January
- Mui Ne (peak kite wind November to April) and Khao Lak for the Similans (best December to April).
- Tulum's cenotes, in the driest, least-sargassum window of roughly November to April.
- Nazare, if you want to watch the giant-wave season, which peaks November to February.
FAQ
Where is the best watersports weather in January?
For diving, Raja Ampat is in its calmest stretch and Malapascua has its clearest water. For wind, Boracay, La Ventana, Cabo de la Vela and Zanzibar are all in season. For surf, Rincon catches North Atlantic swell and Sri Lanka's south coast is mid-season.
Is January a good month for beginners?
Often yes, because several January spots are shallow and forgiving: Boracay's Bulabog lagoon and Zanzibar's Paje lagoon are both learn-to-kite bases. Sri Lanka's south coast has beginner-friendly beach breaks at Weligama. Rincon and Malapascua are the ones to approach with more experience.
Sources
- Every entry above is drawn from our own destination guide for that place, and the claims here are the ones those guides already verify: Boracay, La Ventana, Baja, Malapascua, Raja Ampat, Sri Lanka, Rincon, Zanzibar (Paje), Cabo de la Vela.