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Conditions at Ballito in May
May: Winter Groundswell Arrives
May is where Ballito turns the corner from fun to serious. Average swell height is 1.8m (6ft), but the average period jumps to 10.3 seconds, and suddenly the ocean has real depth and push. The swell mix favours the southern quadrant: S (21.8%) and SSE (17.9%) are the dominant directions, while E (13.1%), SE (14.1%), ESE (11.5%) and ENE (10.7%) keep plenty of east energy in the water. This combination works well at the east-southeast-facing beach, filtering through to the sandbars with strength. Wind conditions improve dramatically, with ideal surfing wind at 46 percent. WSW (4.9%), W (3.9%), WNW (5.3%), NW (6.0%) and NNW (9.6%) combine for frequent offshore and light cross-offshore mornings. Water temperature drops to a clean 23.4°C, air averages 20.6°C, and precipitation falls to just 0.94 mm/day. May is a classic winter-change month: more power, cleaner conditions and longer, more grinding rides.
Average Spot conditions at Ballito in May
Swell history for May
Wind history for May
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Ballito 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 Ballito for your next trip in May.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Ballito 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 Ballito.