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Conditions at La Rinconada in May
May: Winter Swell Begins to Rumble
May signals the transition into the austral storm season. Average swell height ticks up to 7ft (2.1m) and the period stays strong at 12.9s, so there is no shortage of power. The direction spread is more interesting: SW and WSW still dominate, but their share drops closer to 62%, while W swell grows to around 11% and WNW/NW add a few more points - more of the spectrum is actually aimed toward the beach. The majority of waves are still in the 5-8ft (1.5-2.5m) zone, with a growing number of 8ft+ (2.5m+) peaks. Wind becomes less reliable: ideal flow sits at 52%, and the northerlies that accompany fronts begin to appear more often. Rainfall increases to 4.4mm/day, air temperatures drop to 13.1°C and the water cools to 12.3°C. Winter is knocking, but the surf is getting heavier.
Average Spot conditions at La Rinconada in May
Swell history for May
Wind history for May
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at La Rinconada 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 La Rinconada for your next trip in May.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at La Rinconada 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 La Rinconada.