Conditions at Santa Marinella in May
May: Flattening Out Into the Mediterranean Summer
May is when Santa Marinella starts to slip into its summer slumber. The average swell height falls to around 2ft (0.6m), and the average period drops noticeably to 4.5s. The directional data still show a lot of S swell at 16.9%, SSE at 11.5% and SSW at 10.0%, but the height distribution is heavily weighted toward the 0-0.5m (0-1.5ft) class. Only a tiny fraction of waves reach 1-1.5m (3-5ft). Wind conditions are becoming more thermal in character, with SSE at 9.9%, SE at 8.5% and WNW at 8.7% leading the wind rose. The offshore ideal window drops to 9%. As a result, the surf is mostly groveling at best, with short, bumpy windswell. Water temperature is 18.5C and air temperatures average 17.8C, meaning the water is getting comfortable but the waves are vanishing. May is the classic month to take up a longboard or start looking at the forecast for distant summer storms.
Average Spot conditions at Santa Marinella in May
Swell history for May
Wind history for May
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Santa Marinella 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 Marinella for your next trip in May.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Santa Marinella 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 Marinella.