The disc drive housing encloses a spindle motor carrying a disc having a data surface. An actuator assembly includes an actuator arm carrying a head. The housing includes a first surface portion adjacent to the data surface of the disc. The housing also includes a plurality of surface portions that define a recess, which allows the actuator arm to move over the data surface of the disc. The plurality of surface portions include a sloped surface portion sloping away from the data surface and preventing wind generated by the disc rotating about an axis from separating from the sloped surface portion. Alternatively, a disc drive includes a housing that defines a recess. The housing encloses a disc mounted on a spindle motor that rotates the disc about an axis and thereby generates wind within the housing. An upstream surface portion and a downstream surface portion of the housing both face toward a data surface of the disc. A discontinuity, such as a step, between the upstream surface portion and the downstream surface portion causes a wind recirculation region within the recess. The disc drive also includes an actuator arm that carries a head, which the recess allows to move over the data surface of the disc. An actuator limiting device prevents the actuator arm from entering the wind recirculation region.