Conditions at Praia da Vieira in May
May: Sideshore Summer Winds Take Hold
May is a classic shoulder month: enough swell for fun, but the wind becomes the deciding factor. The average swell height slips to 5ft (1.5m) with an average period of 10.0s, and the energy is increasingly dominated by NW (35.2%) and NNW (21.7%), with WNW still supplying 23.7%. The North Atlantic still sends moderate, mixed pulses, but the winter groundswell trains are becoming less consistent. The challenge is the wind: NNW becomes a monster at 37.5% of the time, and the ideal offshore window falls to just 15%. With water at 16.4°C and air temps averaging 16.4°C, it feels like spring, but the surface quality is often ruined by strong sideshore-onshore flow. Choose your windows carefully-the dawn patrol with an east wind is your best bet.
Average Spot conditions at Praia da Vieira in May
Swell history for May
Wind history for May
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Praia da Vieira 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 Praia da Vieira for your next trip in May.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Praia da Vieira 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 Praia da Vieira.