Conditions at Bore in May
May: Small Swells and Summer's Approach
May signals the start of the seasonal surf slump. Average swell height drops to 0.8m (2.6ft) and the average period falls to 6.8s, meaning short-period, disorganised waves become the norm. The swell direction still comes from the northwest for a large part of the time, with NW at 28.4% and WNW at 16.2%, but the energy is mostly small and wind-driven. Ideal wind conditions collapse to just 7%, and the wind rose shows a strong NNW flow at 26.9%, with NW at 13.2%. Those winds are poor for wave quality at Bore, creating bumpy, cross-shore and onshore conditions. On the bright side, air temps rise to 9.2°C, water temps are becoming more manageable at 9.0°C, and precipitation drops to 2.61mm/day. This is a good month for exploring other spots or dusting off the summer board rather than hunting epic waves at Bore.
Average Spot conditions at Bore in May
Swell history for May
Wind history for May
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Bore 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 Bore for your next trip in May.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Bore 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 Bore.