Conditions at Sochi in May
May: Summer Doldrums Begin
May is when the Black Sea behaves more like a lake. Average surf height drops to just 1-2ft (0.4m), the average period falls to 4.0s, and ideal offshore wind is scarce at 5% of the time. The swell rose is dominated by W (29.1%) and WNW (18.6%) windswell, with WSW adding 17.9%; while the favorable S/SSW/SW/WSW sector totals a surprisingly high 34%, the vast majority of that is below 0.5m. The wind pattern becomes more thermally driven, with WNW (11.8%), SSE (10.1%) and NW (8.7%) all prominent. These are the classic afternoon sea-breeze directions around Sochi, and they consistently chop up the small summer bumps. Water temperature reaches 16.8°C and air averages 15.4°C, but without swell there is not much to celebrate. Dawn patrol, a longboard and a low-tide sandbar are the only real options.
Average Spot conditions at Sochi in May
Swell history for May
Wind history for May
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Sochi 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 Sochi for your next trip in May.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Sochi 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 Sochi.