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Conditions at Rockaway-Manzanita in May
May: Smaller Swells, Brighter Days
May is a true shoulder month. Average swell drops to 6ft (1.8m) and periods settle to 10.6s, but the wave direction remains excellent: WNW, W, NW and WSW together account for over 85% of all swell observations. Heights around 3-5ft (1-1.5m) and 5-6ft (1.5-2m) dominate, so there is still plenty of fun, rippable surf between the flatter spells.
Offshore wind is scarce, though - only 16% ideal. The North Pacific High is strengthening, and NNW winds dominate with 29% of all observations, often blowing 10-20kph or stronger. This creates cross-shore chop on the west-facing breaks. The weather is nicer though: air temps warm to 10.9°C, water temperature climbs to 12.3°C, and rain dries up to 2.60mm/day. Dawn patrol is the move.
Average Spot conditions at Rockaway-Manzanita in May
Swell history for May
Wind history for May
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Rockaway-Manzanita 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 Rockaway-Manzanita for your next trip in May.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Rockaway-Manzanita 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 Rockaway-Manzanita.