Conditions at Zavial in May
May: Summer Stability Arrives
May sees a real drop in Atlantic muscle. Average swell is down to 4-6ft (1.2-1.8m), and average period slips to 9.8 seconds. The swell rose is now almost entirely NW (39.7%), NNW (23.9%) and WNW (16.7%), with S/SSW/SW energy at barely 1%. The wind follows suit: NNW (32.1%) and NW (19.9%) dominate, and ideal wind windows are just 31%. Once the land heats up, those afternoons become seriously textured by sea breeze, so early is better. Water temperature reaches a comfortable 17.0°C, air highs can touch 30.4°C and precipitation drops to 1.20mm/day. It is fun, small, increasingly summer-like - a groveler's month rather than a heavy-wave month.
Average Spot conditions at Zavial in May
Swell history for May
Wind history for May
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Zavial 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 Zavial for your next trip in May.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Zavial 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 Zavial.