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Conditions at Port Alfred in May
May: Winter Groundswell Kicks into Gear
May is the real turning point. The average swell is 1.8m (5.9ft), the period stretches to 11.6s, and ideal wind jumps to 53%. The Southern Ocean is starting to produce more organised, long-period energy, and at Port Alfred the swell direction becomes heavily weighted toward SSW at 31.4%, S at 17.7%, SSE at 10.7% and SW at 12.0%. This is exactly the direction spectrum the coastline wants to see. The bulk of the SSW energy sits in the 1.5-2.5m (5-8ft) window, with plenty of that total in the firing range. In the wind department, ENE has fallen to 9.1%, while W/WSW cross-shore flow remains active and the N/NNW/NW/WNW offshore flow has strengthened. Clean days are now common, especially when a winter cold front passes and the wind swings offshore behind it. Water temperature is 18.4°C, air temperature averages 18.0°C, and May is dry with only 0.79 mm/day of precipitation.
Average Spot conditions at Port Alfred in May
Swell history for May
Wind history for May
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Port Alfred 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 Port Alfred for your next trip in May.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Port Alfred 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 Port Alfred.