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Conditions at Playa El Rey in May
May: Green Season Arrives With More Size
May brings the first serious pulse of wet-season surf. Average height rises to 4ft (1.3m), the period remains long at 14.1s, and the SSW/SW swell combo starts throwing more 5-6.5ft (1.5-2m) sets - roughly 18% of the time, plus small amounts of 6.5-8ft (2-2.5m) energy. The direction is still excellent: 88.7% from SSW and 11.1% from SW. But the surf zone becomes a battle between ocean power and wind. Rain jumps to 7.83 mm/day, air temperatures hold near 26.6°C, and water temp is 29.3°C. The wind data shows a broad S/SSW/SW/WSW/W flow, with very little offshore N/NNE/NE/NNW to clean things up. At 20% ideal wind, the morning hours are precious; after the seabreeze fills in, Playa El Rey quickly turns into a lumpy, stormy-shored beach. Catching the straighter SSW lines before the chop arrives is the name of the game.
Average Spot conditions at Playa El Rey in May
Swell history for May
Wind history for May
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Playa El Rey 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 Playa El Rey for your next trip in May.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Playa El Rey 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 Playa El Rey.