Conditions at Choshi in May
May: Windswell Season Settles In
May marks the true end of the reliable winter surf season at Choshi. Average swell heights drop to 4-5ft (1.4m), periods fall to 8.8s, and the ideal wind frequency bottoms out around 25%. The wave rose is now dominated by ESE/E/SE swell, which together account for nearly 60% of the observations. This is mostly short-period, locally driven windswell from the strengthening Pacific High, and it throws a lot of chop into the beach. The south-facing exposure does catch a good chunk of SSE and S swell (about 14%), but the prevailing SSW winds, already the dominant flow at 17%, combine with S/SW components to create onshore conditions much of the time. Precipitation averages 4.64 mm/day, adding humidity and light variable winds. Summer may be approaching, but May's surf quality is often inconsistent. Look for morning N/NNW offshore breezes to iron out the surface and turn the ESE windswell into fun, grovelly waves.
Average Spot conditions at Choshi in May
Swell history for May
Wind history for May
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Choshi 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 Choshi for your next trip in May.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Choshi 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 Choshi.