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Conditions at Ral Island in May
May: Trade Winds Take Over
By May, the southeast trades have locked in and Ral Island's surf takes a clear step down in size and power. Average wave height falls to 3ft (0.9m) and average period drops to 8.8 seconds, a punchy but not powerful pattern. NE dominates at 54.5 percent and ENE at 22.2 percent, with favorable NNE, N, NNW and NW energy down to just 19.7 percent. The bulk of the swells are in the 2 to 3ft (0.5 to 1m) range, with some 3 to 5ft (1 to 1.5m) pulses, more fun-sized and groveling than firing.
The wind, however, is much better. Ideal surfing conditions run 53 percent of the time, and the wind rose is dominated by E, ESE and SE flow, which keeps the north-facing reefs cleaner and more organized than in the monsoon months. Air temperatures remain at 28.3°C, water temperature at 29.9°C and rainfall drops to 6.76mm per day. It is a friendly surf month for small-wave equipment and longboarding, but don't expect Ral Island to show its heavy side.
Average Spot conditions at Ral Island in May
Swell history for May
Wind history for May
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Ral 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 Ral Island for your next trip in May.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Ral 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 Ral Island.