Praia do Silveira • Statistics for May

May: The Swell Engine Fires Up

May marks a clear step up in surf quality at Praia do Silveira. The average wave period jumps to 9.6s-right on the cusp of the powerful long-period category-and the swell spectrum is now firmly dominated by SE, SSE, S and ESE groundswell: SSE 18.9 percent, SE 17.4 percent, S 16.0 percent, ESE 16.8 percent, E 14.2 percent, ENE 10.1 percent. These are not just trade wind waves; they are pulses generated by intense mid-latitude cyclones and frontal systems in the South Atlantic. The amount of 1.5-2m energy increases dramatically, and the 2-2.5m range begins to appear in the S/SSE sectors. Perhaps most importantly, ideal wind reaches 37 percent-the second highest of the year. The post-frontal westerly flow provides Silveira with the offshore/cross-offshore breeze it needs to keep the long-period lines clean. Air temps fall to a cool 17.9°C and water drops to 21.2°C, so the hoods and booties come out. This is when the long, grind-y, punchy walls start to make the summer months a distant memory.