Playa Bruja • Statistics for May

May: Big SSW Pulses and a Serious Onshore Trade-Off

May is a month of raw swell potential at Playa Bruja. SSW swell reaches 77.2% of total energy, and the height distribution tilts dramatically toward the 1-1.5m (3.3-4.9ft) range at 45.6%, with a further 4.9% in the 1.5-2m (4.9-6.6ft) range. The average swell height climbs to 1.1m (3.6ft) and the average period peaks at 14.4s, some of the longest of the year. When you add in 19.5% SW energy, this is a seriously well-directed, long-period groundswell window.

The bad news is the wind. The ideal surfing wind score bottoms out at 17%, as the surface flow becomes increasingly influenced by the Pacific subtropical high and a stronger thermal sea breeze. W and WNW winds still blow 17.7% and 16.7% of the time respectively, but WSW 11.4%, SW 6.9%, SE 7.9% and SSE 6.5% all eat into clean-session frequency. Water temperatures climb to 26.1°C, air reaches 26.7°C, and rainfall is minimal at 0.06 mm/day. May is for the dedicated surfer who can position around the wind; the swell is firing, but the surface is often bumpy and sectiony.