Conditions at Tonel in May
May: Small Summer Pulse
May marks the transition into the low season at Tonel. Average swell height drops to 1.6m (5ft) and the average period falls to 9.8s, which is right on the edge between rideable windswell and the bottom end of groundswell. The swell direction remains dominated by the northern half of the compass, with NW at 39.7%, NNW at 23.9% and WNW at 16.7%, while W contributes 7.1%. There are still fun, rippable days, especially when the WNW or W swell lines up with clean conditions. Wind, however, is increasingly summer-like: ideal offshore E/NE winds only blow 11% of the time, and the NNW thermal wind becomes the dominant player at 41.6%, with NW at 14.2%. This produces bumpy afternoons and a lot of average waves. With air temps warming to 17.6°C, water at 17.0°C and rain dropping to 1.20mm/day, May is more about cruising on a shortboard than hunting heavy waves.
Average Spot conditions at Tonel in May
Swell history for May
Wind history for May
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Tonel 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 Tonel for your next trip in May.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Tonel 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 Tonel.