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Conditions at Woolacombe in May
May: Small Windows, Big Promise
May sits on the edge of summer at Woolacombe. Average swell runs 3.6ft (1.1m) with a period of 8.7s, placing it in the average, punchy category but with far less power than winter. The swell direction is very consistently from W and WSW, a combined 58.5 percent, though much of that is small to medium groundswell. The over-2m percentages are thin, so the beach relies on every modest pulse from the Atlantic. Winds are mixed: there is a definite easterly tendency, with ENE, E, ESE and SE totalling 27.1 percent, but W and WSW winds are equally common. Ideal wind time is 15 percent. This is a month of quick-hit windows: dawn patrol with an E or SE offshore, clean 2-4ft (0.6-1.2m) peaks, then onshore sea breezes or W wind by afternoon. Water temperature rises to 12C, air averages 11.5C and rain is at a spring minimum of 2.21mm/day. It is not firing, but it is far from flat.
Average Spot conditions at Woolacombe in May
Swell history for May
Wind history for May
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Woolacombe 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 Woolacombe for your next trip in May.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Woolacombe 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 Woolacombe.