Conditions at Areia Branca in May
May: Summer Signals Arrive
May marks the true end of winter quality. Average swell height drops to 5.6ft (1.7m) and the period falls to 9.9 seconds, putting the surf on the cusp of mid-period windswell. The swell direction is now dominated by NNW and NW -- together the two approaches account for over 60 percent of all recorded wave energy -- with a strong WNW component still in the mix. At Areia Branca, the waves become less consistent and less powerful; you'll get rideable, chest-to-head-high surf but the heavy, pumping winter walls become rare.
Offshore wind is down to 15 percent. The wind pattern is increasingly locked into a strong NNW flow at 38.3 percent, which blows straight down the coast and puts sideshore/onshore texture on the lineup. Air temperatures warm to 16.3°C, rainfall drops to 1.65 mm/day, and the water reaches 16.2°C. There are still fun waves, especially on WNW swell with a morning E wind, but consistency and quality are fading fast.
Average Spot conditions at Areia Branca in May
Swell history for May
Wind history for May
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Areia Branca 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 Areia Branca for your next trip in May.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Areia Branca 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 Areia Branca.