Conditions at Pedra Branca in May
May: Fading Winter Swell and Building North Winds
May marks a clear step down in size and power at Pedra Branca. Average heights fall to about 5-6ft (1.5-1.8m) and the wave period drops to 9.9s, shifting the surf toward a punchy, mid-period character rather than true winter groundswell. The swell direction still comes from the northwest quadrant - NNW and NW together account for over 60% of the observations, with WNW playing a supporting role - but the wave heights are now dominated by 3-7ft (1-2m) surf, with more 2-3ft (0.5-1m) days creeping in.
Offshore winds become scarce, with ideal conditions just 10% and ENE/E/ESE/SE flow under 5%. The thermal northerly machine is spinning up, and NNW winds blow a remarkable 36.5% of the time. This puts Pedra Branca frequently onshore or heavily cross-shore, making conditions less consistent. Water temp climbs to 16.5°C, air to 16.7°C, and rainfall drops to 1.48mm/day. May is not a total loss - behind a stalled front, an ENE offshore breeze can still turn a knee-shoulder-high NW swell into clean, rippable peaks.
Average Spot conditions at Pedra Branca in May
Swell history for May
Wind history for May
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Pedra Branca 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 Pedra Branca for your next trip in May.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Pedra Branca 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 Pedra Branca.