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Conditions at The Island in May
May: Peak Autumn Consistency
May delivers the longest average period of the year at 11.0s and an average height of 6ft (1.9m). The Southern Ocean is firing: S swell dominates with 19.2% of the rose, followed by SSE (14.1%) and SSW (7.2%), while the SE direction still adds another 9.8%. This is proper groundswell, with 7.0% of the S observations running 1.5-2m (5-6.6ft) and 5.7% running 2-2.5m (6.6-8.2ft) - plus a slice of XL territory above 2.5m (8.2ft). On the wind side, WNW (13.2%), NW (12.6%) and NNW (13.5%) dominate the ideal offshore quadrant, and the wind is favorable 49% of the time. The S/SSW onshore directions are still around, but less frequent than in autumn. Water temps drop to 16.8°C, air temps average 12.5°C, and 2.97mm/day of rain keeps the air clean. This is a month where the island's SSE exposure becomes a magnet for long, grinding southern swells.
Average Spot conditions at The Island in May
Swell history for May
Wind history for May
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at The Island 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 The Island for your next trip in May.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at The Island 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 The Island.