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Conditions at El Silencio in May
May: The Winter Machine Starts to Hum
May is the gateway to Peru's peak swell season. Average wave height jumps to around 6-7ft (1.8m), while the period stays at 13.6s - the joint highest of the year. The swell direction is again overwhelmingly SSW, with an increasing share of bigger waves: 47% of SSW energy sits in the 5-6.5ft (1.5-2m) range and nearly 20% is in the 6.5-8ft (2-2.5m) range. This is serious, powerful surf with the ability to hold up well on the sandbars, but it is also a step closer to being too much for the average surfer.
Wind remains the limiting factor. The Pacific high is strengthening, and the dominant wind components are S and SSW, each around 34%, with a growing 10-20kph breeze component from SSW. Ideal wind drops to just 2%. Air temperatures cool to 18.6°C and water follows to 17.0°C. The desert remains rainless, but the ocean has switched into winter mode: darker, colder and much more powerful. When the wind drops in the late afternoon, May's long-period SSW lines are heavy and fast.
Average Spot conditions at El Silencio in May
Swell history for May
Wind history for May
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at El Silencio 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 El Silencio for your next trip in May.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at El Silencio 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 El Silencio.