Plate II · North of Essaouira
Moulay Bouzerktoun
Short answer
Best months for Moulay Bouzerktoun (31.64° N · 9.68° W) in the data: July (75% of days ≥ 12 kn, mean 14.0 kn), August (64%), June (57%). Calmest: December (21%). Across the year an average of 44% of days reach 12 knots. In the best months the dominant wind is from the north. Offshore sea temperature ranges from 17.0 to 19.5 °C depending on the month.
The spot
Moulay Bouzerktoun is a coastal village about 25 km north of Essaouira. It is a wave spot known for strong wind.
It is for experienced riders only, because of the waves, the rocks and the currents. It is not a place to learn.
Wind, month by month
ERA5 reanalysis 2015–2024, wind at 10 m, daytime 11:00–18:00 Moroccan clock time of the period, ≈ 10:00–17:00 on today’s UTC+0 clock.
Moulay Bouzerktoun falls in the same ERA5 grid cell as Essaouira, so the wind numbers below are identical to Essaouira’s. They cannot show the local differences between the two spots.
Monthly wind statistics, Moulay Bouzerktoun
| Month | Avg wind (kn) | Days ≥ 12 kn | Days ≥ 15 kn | Directions (hours ≥ 8 kn) | Air max (°C) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 9.1 | 28% | 13% | NE 53 · N 29 · SW 11 | 19.3 |
| Feb | 10.2 | 34% | 18% | N 43 · NE 40 · SW 9 | 19.7 |
| Mar | 11.2 | 40% | 22% | N 51 · NE 26 · SW 13 | 20.3 |
| Apr | 11.6 | 47% | 27% | N 64 · NE 17 · SW 9 | 21.5 |
| May | 12.7 | 56% | 36% | N 71 · NE 14 · SW 6 | 23.2 |
| Jun | 12.8 | 57% | 37% | N 80 · NE 10 · NW 6 | 24.3 |
| Jul | 14.0 | 75% | 46% | N 86 · NE 12 · NW 1 | 26.6 |
| Aug | 13.0 | 64% | 35% | N 84 · NE 15 · NW 1 | 27.0 |
| Sep | 11.0 | 46% | 18% | N 77 · NE 18 · NW 2 | 25.5 |
| Oct | 9.1 | 28% | 11% | N 60 · NE 19 · SW 15 | 24.7 |
| Nov | 9.4 | 28% | 14% | N 41 · NE 38 · SW 15 | 22.3 |
| Dec | 8.0 | 21% | 11% | NE 48 · N 26 · SW 20 | 20.6 |
Directions: share (%) of daytime hours at 8 knots or more, for the three most frequent sectors. Air max: mean of daily daytime maximum air temperature.
The sea: temperature and offshore swell
Open-Meteo Marine API, monthly means 2022–2024 at the nearest offshore model point. These are not beach wave heights.
Sea off Moulay Bouzerktoun (31.64° N · 9.70° W)
| Month | Sea temp. (°C) | Offshore waves (m) | Period (s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 17.2 | 1.9 | 11.1 |
| Feb | 17.0 | 2.0 | 11.3 |
| Mar | 17.1 | 2.4 | 11.1 |
| Apr | 17.7 | 1.8 | 8.9 |
| May | 17.5 | 1.6 | 7.8 |
| Jun | 18.7 | 1.5 | 7.4 |
| Jul | 18.0 | 1.5 | 6.6 |
| Aug | 18.3 | 1.6 | 7.0 |
| Sep | 18.8 | 1.4 | 8.4 |
| Oct | 19.5 | 1.8 | 9.8 |
| Nov | 19.2 | 1.9 | 11.0 |
| Dec | 17.9 | 1.8 | 10.7 |
The water stays cool all year, so a full wetsuit is advised (our recommendation: 4/3 mm in winter and spring, 3/2 mm in summer).