Conditions at Bakio in May
May: Small Waves, Soft Corners
May is a classic small-wave shoulder month at Bakio. The average swell height drops to 1.2m (4ft) with a period of 9.9s, and while NW remains enormous at 50.8 percent, much of it is small: NW has 19 percent in the 0.5-1m (2-3ft) range and 17.9 percent in the 1-1.5m (3-5ft) range. NNW and WNW combine for another 38 percent of swell energy, but again the peak is in the 2-4ft zone. Ideal offshore wind stays at 22 percent, while the dominant wind directions are WNW, NW and NNW, which are exactly the kind of flows that can add chop to an already smaller swell. When a late-spring low pushes a longer-period W/NW swell and the wind swings to the south, there are still fun, rippable peaks to be had. Water temperature warms to 15.8°C, air averages 15.2°C and rainfall drops to 2.21mm/day. Break out the high-performance shortboard, but be ready to work for the good ones.
Average Spot conditions at Bakio in May
Swell history for May
Wind history for May
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Bakio 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 Bakio for your next trip in May.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Bakio 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 Bakio.