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Conditions at Esterillos in May
May: Southern-Hemisphere Swell Machine Turns On
May is a pivotal month as the southern-hemisphere winter storm track gears up and the ITCZ shifts north across Costa Rica. The average swell height grows to 4.5ft (1.3m), with the period holding at 14.1s, one of the longest of the year. SSW supplies 94.2% of the swell, and now 19.1% of waves reach 5-6.5ft (1.5-2m), with another 1.3% in the 6.5-8ft (2-2.5m) range. When a powerful SSW pulse arrives, Esterillos shifts from fun beach break to proper hollow sandbar.
Wind, however, becomes the limiting factor. Ideal surf wind falls to 28% as the onshore southeast quadrant takes over: SSE (11.9%), SE (10.7%), S (10.1%), SSW (10.3%) and SW (9.7%) dominate, and even the NW/NNW offshore directions drop to the 4-6% range. Frequent rainbands and a convective seabreeze make it a tactical month-you need to pick the windows between downpours, especially early in the morning. Air temp averages 26.6°C, precipitation jumps to 7.83mm/day, and water temp remains a warm 29.4°C.
Average Spot conditions at Esterillos in May
Swell history for May
Wind history for May
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Esterillos 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 Esterillos for your next trip in May.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Esterillos 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 Esterillos.