Conditions at Paul do Mar in May
May: Small Spring Fun
By May, winter is a memory. Average swell height falls to 1.7m (5.5ft) and the average period drops to 10.0s. The north-northwest machine keeps chewing: NNW is 34.2%, NW is 16.9%, and NNE is 15.9%, but the wave heights are clustered in the 1-2m (3-6.5ft) range with only small percentages above 2m. At Paul do Mar, this means more groveling waves and less power for the reef. The wind is still favourable 38% of the time from the NE/ENE/NNE quadrant. With air temps averaging 18.3°C (14.6-21.7°C), water at 19.2°C and only 0.54mm/day of rain, it is a pleasant month for a small-wave cruise on a longboard. The best swell windows are early in the month, when the ocean still remembers it is spring.
Average Spot conditions at Paul do Mar in May
Swell history for May
Wind history for May
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Paul do Mar 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 Paul do Mar for your next trip in May.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Paul do Mar 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 Paul do Mar.