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Conditions at Ipanema in May
May: The South Atlantic Roars to Life
May is the first true peak month of the year at Ipanema. Average swell height hits 1.5m (4-6ft), and average wave period climbs to 11.0s - solidly in the powerful long-period range. The swell direction data show a heavy south bias: S alone delivers 36.5 percent of all waves, SSE contributes 25.4 percent and SSW adds 9.2 percent, meaning over 70 percent of the energy arrives from the favorable southern half of the compass. A large portion of that S/SSW energy is in the 1.5-2.5m (5-8ft) bracket, enough to make the beach fire on the better sets. Winds are ideal 55 percent of the time, usually in the early morning before the sea breeze or along the back side of frontal systems. With air at 22.2°C, water temperature still pleasant at 23.2°C and only 2.61 mm/day of rain, May combines size, direction and comfortable conditions as well as any month on the calendar.
Average Spot conditions at Ipanema in May
Swell history for May
Wind history for May
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Ipanema 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 Ipanema for your next trip in May.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Ipanema 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 Ipanema.