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Conditions at Venice Beach in May
May: Small Long-Period Swell, Strong Onshore Push
May at Venice Beach is all about small, long-period surf. Average swell height is 3ft (0.9m) and the average period still sits at 12.0s, but the distribution is predominantly small: about 72% of waves are in the 2-3ft (0.5-1m) range, with another 23% in the 3-5ft (1-1.5m) range. Direction is still excellent-WSW 40.2%, W 29.3%, SW 24.2%, and SSW 6.0%-so the beach is not lacking exposure.
The issue is wind. Ideal conditions only happen 29% of the time, a sign that the spring sea breeze is winning. Onshore SW (16.3%) and WSW (17.4%) winds, plus SSW (9.2%) and W (10.2%), combine for more than half of the day. Air temps warm to 17.1°C, rainfall is minimal at 0.34mm/day, and water temp is 14.0°C. It is still surfable, but you will need a mid-length or a log for the bumpy, gentle lines.
Average Spot conditions at Venice Beach in May
Swell history for May
Wind history for May
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Venice Beach 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 Venice Beach for your next trip in May.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Venice Beach 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 Venice Beach.