Conditions at El Frontan in May
May: Persistent NNE Wind and Fading Groundswell
May sees the Atlantic storm track retreat and the surf takes on a more local, short-period character. Average swell height sits at 4ft (1.3m) and the period drops to 9.8s. Direction is still favourable in theory - NNE 32.6%, N 25.8%, NNW 27.8% and NW 8.7% - but the energy is now a mix of windswell and weaker groundswell, not the deep winter lines.
The offshore wind window collapses to just 3%. NNE winds are relentless at 45.4%, with NE at 17.4% and NNW at 14.7%, leaving most days textured, bumpy and hard to navigate. Warmer air at 19.5°C and water at 19.9°C arrive, and rainfall drops to 0.18mm/day. The combination of onshore wind and lower period makes May one of the least consistent months for quality at El Frontan, despite the still-impressive proportion of north-sector swell.
Average Spot conditions at El Frontan in May
Swell history for May
Wind history for May
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at El Frontan 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 El Frontan for your next trip in May.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at El Frontan 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 El Frontan.