Conditions at Desert Point in May
May: Summer Windswell and the Wrong Wind Direction
May marks the real arrival of the low season. The average height drops to 1.7m (5.6ft) and the period shortens to 9.5s, meaning the long, powerful winter groundswell is replaced by shorter-period swell from the NNW - a massive 65 percent of all swell observations come from that direction. The mix is mostly rideable, fun-sized surf in the 1-2m (3-6ft) range, but without the period or the direction spread that Desert Point needs to turn on.
Wind is the limiting factor. The ideal wind window collapses to 15 percent, and the W/NW quadrant dominates: NW wind accounts for 34.1 percent of all observations, WNW for 17.6 percent. These are the directions that chop up the lineup and kill the offshore structure. With the sea surface temperature only 17.6°C and air temps around 19.5°C, it remains a relatively cool month, but the lack of wind windows makes it a poor bet for quality surf.
Average Spot conditions at Desert Point in May
Swell history for May
Wind history for May
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Desert Point 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 Desert Point for your next trip in May.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Desert Point 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 Desert Point.