- Home
- ...Africa
South Africa- Avalanche
Conditions at Avalanche in May
May: Building Winter Swell, Fading Clean Windows
May is where the trade-off between size and quality becomes obvious. Average swell height climbs to 7.2ft (2.2m) and the period lengthens to 12.2s, so there is real power in the water. The dominant swell directions are SSW at 27.9% and SW at 21.3%, which together with S at 12.0% produce a chunky, heavy mix. But ideal winds drop to 23 percent and the wind rose starts to tilt west and northwest: WSW 17.9%, W 14.9%, NNW 8.6% and WNW 6.9%. That means many days feature raw, side-offshore or onshore northwest wind on top of already bulky SSW/SW swell. Still, if you can catch a post-frontal WSW offshore morning, there are excellent 6-8ft (1.8-2.4m) waves with long-period push. Water temperature is 18.4°C, air 18.2°C.
Average Spot conditions at Avalanche in May
Swell history for May
Wind history for May
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Avalanche 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 Avalanche for your next trip in May.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Avalanche 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 Avalanche.