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Conditions at Nine Palms in May
May: Swell Increases, Wind Turns Sloppy
May is a month of oceanic contradiction at Nine Palms. The average swell height climbs to 3.6ft (1.1m), the period holds at 14.1s, and the S and SSW window continues to pump: SSW accounts for 72% of the swell, with 41% of the total falling in the solid 3-5ft (0.9-1.5m) class. On paper this is a surf-rich month. In practice, the wind quality drops to only 42% ideal as ESE, SE and SSE winds pile up, bringing lumpy, cross-onshore texture to the surface. The northwesterly offshore flow that made winter so clean is now reduced to a much smaller share of the wind rose.
Air temperatures rise to 24.9°C and water temperature warms to 24.4°C, while precipitation remains tiny at 0.02mm/day. Surfers will find the biggest cleanest waves in the early morning before onshore flow strengthens, or on days when a weak NW eddy re-establishes offshore winds. The south swell is there, but the surface conditions are the limiting factor.
Average Spot conditions at Nine Palms in May
Swell history for May
Wind history for May
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Nine Palms 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 Nine Palms for your next trip in May.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Nine Palms 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 Nine Palms.