Conditions at Tifnit in May
May: Trade-Wind Chop Takes Over
By May, the North Atlantic storm track weakens and Tifnit slips into a summer trade-wind pattern. The average swell height drops to around 5.5ft (1.7m) and the period falls to 9.5 seconds - punchy but average, and far less energy than winter. The swell direction is dominated by NNW at 65.0 percent, with NW another 21.6 percent; most of this is shorter-period windswell rather than organized groundswell. On top of that, the wind is favourable only 9 percent of the time. WNW and NW winds total over 53 percent of observations, with a large chunk blowing 10-30kph and some 30-40kph, so Tifnit's exposed west-facing beach is often choppy and bumpy. Air temperature climbs to an average of 20.5°C, water temperature holds at 17.9°C, and rainfall becomes scarce at 0.34mm/day. There are still ridable waves, especially smaller 3-5ft (1-1.5m) sets, but conditions are generally grovelling and soft without a solid offshore wind.
Average Spot conditions at Tifnit in May
Swell history for May
Wind history for May
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Tifnit 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 Tifnit for your next trip in May.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Tifnit 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 Tifnit.