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Conditions at Cape Town in May
May: The Winter Swell Machine Turns On
May marks the real gear shift into winter. Average swell height jumps to 8-9ft (2.4-2.7m) and period reaches 12.4s, with the wave rose showing a pronounced WSW (11.9%) and W (2.1%) boost alongside SW (25.7%) and SSW (11.8%). That extra westerly vector matters at a NW-facing beach, putting more energy directly into the cove. Wind is a mixed bag: the offshore quadrant still provides SSE 15.5%, SE 13.5% and S 6.5%, but pre-frontal NNW wind jumps to 22.3% and NW reaches 8.2%. The ideal-wind percentage remains strong at 39%, so the good days are excellent and the bad ones are stormy. Air temps drop to 16.5°C, water temperature rises slightly to 14.9°C, and rain increases to 1.57mm/day as low-pressure systems march across the South Atlantic.
Average Spot conditions at Cape Town in May
Swell history for May
Wind history for May
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Cape Town 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 Cape Town for your next trip in May.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Cape Town 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 Cape Town.