Conditions at Varazze in May
May: Summer Lull Starts to Grip
May is when Varazze enters the summer lull, with the average swell down to 1.5ft (0.5m) and the period at just 4.7s. The wave directions remain dominated by SSW (33.0%) and SW (19.4%), but almost all of that energy is in the 1-2ft (0.3-0.6m) and 2-3ft (0.5-1m) ranges, with only small pockets of 3-5ft (1-1.5m) swell. The wind pattern shows the onshore tendency strengthening: SE and SSE together account for 28.0% of the rose, while NNW drops to 23.1%, and the ideal surfing wind share plummets to 11%. The result is mostly small, bumpy, micro surf blown out by afternoon sea breezes. Early summer thermal winds kick up as air temperatures average 15.7°C, water warms to 17.5°C, and rainfall remains fairly low at 2.17 mm/day. The only windows worth chasing are the days when a lingering low pressure in the Gulf of Lion sends southern swell while the local wind stays in the north quadrant; you might get some sub-fun 1-2ft (0.3-0.6m) peaks. It is marginal, but not completely flat.
Average Spot conditions at Varazze in May
Swell history for May
Wind history for May
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Varazze 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 Varazze for your next trip in May.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Varazze 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 Varazze.