Puerto Escondido • Statistics for May

May: Southern Hemispheres Big Push

May is when Puerto Escondido really starts to shift into high gear. Average swell heights reach 5.5ft (1.6m), and the average period peaks at 14.2 seconds, the longest of the entire year. The SSW window goes absolutely dominant at 77.7 percent, with S at 10.5 and SW at 8.7 percent. The largest share of the swell now sits in the 1.5-2m range, with SSW contributing 36.8 percent there and another 5.9 percent in the 2-2.5m class. This is serious, long-period energy, and the beach will see plenty of heavy, pitching walls.

Wind remains the limiting factor, with ideal offshore conditions 23 percent of the time. WNW is still the top direction at 18.7 percent, followed by W at 17.3 and WSW at 11.8, so onshore afternoon flow is common. However, E and ESE winds combine for close to 7 percent, and when those early-morning offshores catch the long SSW swell, Puerto can be outstanding. Water temp climbs to 30.0°C, air temps average 25.0°C, and rainfall increases to 1.64 mm/day as the wet season begins.