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Conditions at Santa Maria in May
May: Small, Short-Period and Poorly Aligned
May is the beginning of the true lull. The average swell height slides to 1.6m (5ft) and the average period drops to 8.4s, the signature of shorter-period, locally generated windswell rather than clean Atlantic groundswell. The dominance of NNE swell is extreme at 78.7%, with only 11.1% from N and 4.2% from NNW. Wave heights are concentrated in the 1-2m (3-6ft) range: 27.2% are 1-1.5m (3-5ft) and a solid 43.8% are 1.5-2m (5-6ft), but the short period and wrong direction make it hard to find quality. Wind does Santa Maria no favours, with NNE at 70.2% and NE at 22.3%; ideal offshore wind sits at a year-low 6%. Water temperature climbs to 23.0°C, air temp 22.2°C, rainfall almost non-existent (0.16 mm/day). If you score a glassy NNW morning, small fun waves may appear, but expectations should be humble.
Average Spot conditions at Santa Maria in May
Swell history for May
Wind history for May
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Santa Maria 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 Santa Maria for your next trip in May.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Santa Maria 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 Santa Maria.