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Playa Escondida • Statistics for May

Conditions at Playa Escondida in May

May: Building Swell, Arriving Rains

May is where the surf starts to push into more serious territory. The average height climbs to 1.3m (4.3ft), and the average period reaches 14.1s, the longest of the year. SSW dominates with 94.2% of the energy; nearly 69% of that is 3-5ft (1-1.5m), 19.1% is 5-6.5ft (1.5-2m), and even a small amount reaches 6.5-8ft (2-2.5m). SW supplies another 5.3%.

The trade-off is the rainy season. Precipitation jumps to 7.83mm/day, air temperature settles near 26.6°C, and water remains warm at 29.5°C. Clean-wind windows still reach 43%, but the wind directions become more variable, with S, SSE, SSW and SW all represented. Expect larger, more powerful waves when the tide and wind align.

Average Spot conditions at Playa Escondida in May

Swell history for May

0 - 2
2 - 3
3 - 5
5 - 6
6 - 8
> 8 ft

Wind history for May

0 - 6.2
6.3 - 12.4
12.4 - 18.6
18.6 - 24.9
24.9 - 31.1
> 31.1 mph

Swell quality

Analyze the groundswell consistency at Playa Escondida 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 Playa Escondida for your next trip in May.

Ground swell

Ground swell by size

Wind conditions

Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Playa Escondida 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 Playa Escondida.

Swell with good wind

Swell with good wind by size

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