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Conditions at Scarborough in May
May: Peak Conditions in Golden Autumn
May delivers the most consistent quality of the year. Average wave height reaches 2.2m (7ft), wave period holds at 12.7s, and ideal surfing winds blow 45% of the time - the highest of any month. Swell direction broadens around the optimal window: SW at 42.1%, WSW at 16.0% and W at 3.7%, giving Scarborough a proper, exposed westerly push, while SSW drops to 6.6%. The wind patterns are much more balanced than in summer, with less SSW/S/SW onshore energy and a strong block of NE/ENE/E/ESE offshore flow. Water temperature relaxes to 21.4°C, air sits at 18.5°C, and rainfall jumps to 2.88mm/day as fronts cross. This is textbook autumn: cold fronts over the Southern Ocean generate long-period SW groundswell while high pressure to the south supplies offshore E/SE winds. Expect excellent, rippable-to-pumping surf on the best days.
Average Spot conditions at Scarborough in May
Swell history for May
Wind history for May
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Scarborough during May. Based on historical data, there is a % probability of groundswell occurring this month. The chart below provides a detailed breakdown of the average wave height distribution, offering deep insights into the swell quality and surf potential you can expect at Scarborough for your next trip in May.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Scarborough for May. Our analysis shows that favorable offshore or side-shore winds coincide with surfable swell approximately % of the time. The accompanying graph illustrates the average size distribution of waves during these optimal wind windows at Scarborough.