Conditions at Afife in May
May: Smaller Swells and the Nortada Arrives
May signals the beginning of the summer lull. Average swell height drops to 5.6ft (1.7m), period falls to 9.9s, and the character shifts from long-period groundswell to a mix of groundswell and NW windswell. The swell direction is dominated by NW and NNW, with WNW still contributing, but the bigger 2.5m-plus bombs fade from the picture. The wind picture turns less favourable: ideal offshore flow only 32 per cent of the time, and the nortada - the northerly thermal wind - becomes a daily afternoon presence. Early mornings can still offer clean cross-shore NNW flow or light offshore E/SE wind; by afternoon it often gets lumpy. Water temperature is 15.5°C, air averages 15.1°C, and rainfall is lower at 2.74mm/day. Smaller board, fuller wetsuit.
Average Spot conditions at Afife in May
Swell history for May
Wind history for May
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Afife 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 Afife for your next trip in May.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Afife 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 Afife.