Conditions at Croyde in May
May: Grovel Boards and Glassy Mornings
May officially transitions into the flat shoulder at Croyde. The average swell drops to 3.6ft (1.1m) and average period to 8.7s, meaning most waves are windswell or smaller Atlantic pulses rather than strong groundswell. Direction is still overwhelmingly from W (34.7%) and WSW (23.8%), so the beach remains exposed to whatever the Atlantic sends. The wind is the silver lining: ideal surf wind is 16%, tied with April for the best of the year. Offshore NE-ENE-E-ESE winds account for roughly 26% of observations, and with lighter overall wind speeds, you can find long, clean, shoulder-high waves, especially in the morning before sea breezes develop. Onshore winds from the SW-W-WNW still appear about 35% of the time, so afternoons often turn soft. Air temps rise to 11.5°C, water temp reaches 12.0°C, and precipitation drops to the annual low of 2.21 mm/day. A high-performance shortboard or a grovel board becomes your best friend.
Average Spot conditions at Croyde in May
Swell history for May
Wind history for May
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Croyde 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 Croyde for your next trip in May.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Croyde 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 Croyde.