Punta Falcone

Punta Falcone sits on the northeast corner of Santo Stefano, a small circular island, so its exposed window faces the open Tyrrhenian to the N-NE-E — that whole sector is fully open. The island bulk lies to the southwest of the point and shields the site from the S, SSW, SW and WSW, so Libeccio (SW) swell is largely blocked; a Scirocco (SE) reaches it partially as the point turns toward the open southeast. The dominant hazard is northerly Tramontana/Maestrale and easterly Levante wind-sea, which strike the wall head-on and are the usual reason the dive is called off; westerly Mistral swell mostly wraps around the north coast with reduced force. There is no true ocean groundswell here — seas are wind-generated over Tyrrhenian fetch, with local shelter from the island itself.