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Conditions at Elands Bay in May
May: Winter Swell Machine Turns On
May is when Elands Bay transitions from fun to serious. The average swell height jumps to 1.5m (4.9ft) and the period holds at 12.2s, but the distribution tells a bigger story: the 1-1.5m (3-5ft) range remains important, yet 1.5-2m (5-6.5ft) waves now account for nearly 22% of observations and 2-2.5m (6.5-8ft) waves approach 9%. The dominant direction shifts slightly to the WSW at 53.8%, with SW at 33.7%, reflecting a more active Southern Ocean storm track.
Ideal wind conditions peak at 42%, the highest of the year. That said, the onshore NNW wind is also on the rise at 12.4%, so clean waves are about timing the frontal passages. When a cold front clears, the wind flips to the offshore S/SSW/SW quadrant and Elands Bay can be seriously good. Water temperature cools to 14.5°C, air temperature averages 15.7°C, and rain increases to 1.20mm/day. Winter is here.
Average Spot conditions at Elands Bay in May
Swell history for May
Wind history for May
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Elands Bay 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 Elands Bay for your next trip in May.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Elands Bay 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 Elands Bay.