Plate IV · South of Essaouira
Sidi Kaouki
Short answer
Best months for Sidi Kaouki (31.36° N · 9.80° W) in the data: July (71% of days ≥ 12 kn, mean 13.7 kn), June (59%), August (57%). Calmest: December (18%). Across the year an average of 41% of days reach 12 knots. In the best months the dominant wind is from the north. Offshore sea temperature ranges from 16.9 to 19.9 °C depending on the month.
The spot
Sidi Kaouki is a village and a long beach about 25 km south of Essaouira, with the white marabout (shrine) of Sidi Kaouki standing on the beach.
It is an exposed beach break used for surfing, a windsurf spot for many years and a well-known kitesurf spot. In the data its wind closely follows Essaouira’s: the highest share of windy days is from June to August, with wind mostly from the north.
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.
Monthly wind statistics, Sidi Kaouki
| Month | Avg wind (kn) | Days ≥ 12 kn | Days ≥ 15 kn | Directions (hours ≥ 8 kn) | Air max (°C) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 8.8 | 28% | 13% | N 48 · NE 34 · SW 9 | 19.7 |
| Feb | 9.9 | 33% | 19% | N 59 · NE 24 · SW 7 | 20.1 |
| Mar | 10.8 | 35% | 19% | N 58 · NE 13 · SW 12 | 20.7 |
| Apr | 11.6 | 44% | 24% | N 67 · NW 14 · SW 8 | 21.9 |
| May | 12.7 | 54% | 32% | N 74 · NW 13 · SW 5 | 23.7 |
| Jun | 13.3 | 59% | 40% | N 80 · NW 14 · W 2 | 24.7 |
| Jul | 13.7 | 71% | 39% | N 94 · NW 3 · NE 2 | 27.6 |
| Aug | 12.6 | 57% | 30% | N 92 · NE 4 · NW 3 | 27.9 |
| Sep | 11.0 | 42% | 18% | N 86 · NW 7 · NE 4 | 25.9 |
| Oct | 8.9 | 24% | 9% | N 69 · SW 13 · NE 7 | 25.0 |
| Nov | 9.0 | 24% | 13% | N 54 · NE 22 · SW 12 | 22.7 |
| Dec | 7.5 | 18% | 8% | N 43 · NE 30 · SW 16 | 21.0 |
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 Sidi Kaouki (31.36° N · 9.82° W)
| Month | Sea temp. (°C) | Offshore waves (m) | Period (s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 17.3 | 1.7 | 11.1 |
| Feb | 16.9 | 1.8 | 11.3 |
| Mar | 16.9 | 2.2 | 11.1 |
| Apr | 17.7 | 1.7 | 8.9 |
| May | 17.6 | 1.5 | 7.7 |
| Jun | 18.9 | 1.4 | 7.2 |
| Jul | 18.7 | 1.5 | 6.4 |
| Aug | 19.1 | 1.5 | 6.8 |
| Sep | 19.1 | 1.4 | 8.2 |
| Oct | 19.9 | 1.7 | 9.7 |
| Nov | 18.8 | 1.8 | 10.9 |
| Dec | 17.9 | 1.7 | 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).