Conditions at Palplanche in May
May: The Sweet Spot Arrives
May is arguably the finest month of the shoulder season. The average wave height reaches around 1.5-2ft (0.5m), period holds at 12.8s, and the ideal wind window peaks at 31%, the highest of the entire year. The swell distribution is much fatter: SSW delivers 31.9% with 19.0% in the 1.5-3ft (0.5-1m) class, while SW delivers 66.7% with 37.3% in the small-to-fun category and even a sniff of 3-5ft (1-1.5m) energy at 0.1%. This is the first month where a good percentage of Palplanche's waves are genuinely rideable rather than pure ankle-biters. The wind pattern is dominated by S and SSW, which together add up to 51.6%, with a growing 20-30kph portion that keeps the surface a little textured but generally cross-offshore. Water temps cool to 27.8°C, air sits at 26.6°C, and rainfall eases to 5.35mm/day. If you score a clean May window, expect playful, long-period waves.
Average Spot conditions at Palplanche in May
Swell history for May
Wind history for May
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Palplanche 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 Palplanche for your next trip in May.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Palplanche 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 Palplanche.