Conditions at Lafitenia in May
May: Small Summer Lines Arrive
May sees the last of true winter groundswell and the arrival of the summer pattern. Average swell height drops to 1.0m (3.3ft) with an average period of 10.1s, and the direction distribution is dominated by NW at 50.1% and WNW at 40.8%. A lot of the waves now fall in the 0.5-1m (1.5-3.3ft) category, with a secondary peak in the 1-1.5m (3.3-5ft) range. The power is down, but the swell direction remains ideal, which means a clean longboard wave or a fun shortboard day is definitely possible when the wind cooperates.
Ideal wind frequency drops to 21%. The Azores High is strengthening, and thermal seabreezes become a daily feature, with NNW winds making up 13.3% of the wind distribution and WNW/W another 27.6%. This creates bumpy, wind-affected afternoons, so the dawn patrol is your best friend. Air temperatures average 15.1°C, the water is a pleasant 16.6°C, and precipitation drops to 2.51mm/day. May is all about timing: get it right and you will find clean, playful spring surf; get it wrong and you will be staring at lumpy windswell.
Average Spot conditions at Lafitenia in May
Swell history for May
Wind history for May
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Lafitenia 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 Lafitenia for your next trip in May.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Lafitenia 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 Lafitenia.