Surf seasons · month by month

Where to surf in May

Of the 97 breaks we score, 24 are in season in May: the month sits inside their best band of the year, from years of hindcast. Ranked by how many May days are actually surfable. Fares are round trips we have observed, not estimates.

In season in May

1 Dominical · Costa Rica 4–6 ft faces on a median day · surfable about 100% of May days · 30 C / 86 F, [object Object] · holds near its best all year 2 Máncora · Peru 4–6 ft faces on a median day · surfable about 100% of May days · 23 C / 73 F, [object Object] · holds near its best all year 3 Playa Guiones · Costa Rica 4–6 ft faces on a median day · surfable about 100% of May days · 31 C / 87 F, [object Object] · holds near its best all year 4 Playa Venao · Panama 3–5 ft faces on a median day · surfable about 100% of May days · 29 C / 84 F, [object Object] 5 Popoyo · Nicaragua 5–7 ft faces on a median day · surfable about 100% of May days · 30 C / 86 F, [object Object] 6 Puerto Escondido (Zicatela) · Mexico 6–8 ft faces on a median day · surfable about 100% of May days · 30 C / 85 F, [object Object] 7 Punta de Lobos · Chile 6–8 ft faces on a median day · surfable about 100% of May days · 13 C / 55 F, [object Object] · holds near its best all year 8 Punta Roca · El Salvador 4–6 ft faces on a median day · surfable about 100% of May days · 31 C / 87 F, [object Object] 9 Santa Catalina · Panama 4–6 ft faces on a median day · surfable about 100% of May days · 30 C / 86 F, [object Object] 10 Skeleton Bay · Namibia 4–6 ft faces on a median day · surfable about 100% of May days · 15 C / 59 F, [object Object] 11 Tamarindo · Costa Rica 4–6 ft faces on a median day · surfable about 100% of May days · 30 C / 87 F, [object Object] 12 Pavones · Costa Rica 5–7 ft faces on a median day · surfable about 99% of May days · 30 C / 85 F, [object Object] 13 Batu Bolong, Canggu · Indonesia 4–6 ft faces on a median day · surfable about 98% of May days · 29 C / 85 F, [object Object] 14 Lower Trestles · USA 3–5 ft faces on a median day · surfable about 96% of May days · 18 C / 64 F, [object Object] 15 Lagundri Bay, Nias · Indonesia 6–8 ft faces on a median day · surfable about 93% of May days · 30 C / 87 F, [object Object] 16 Jeffreys Bay (Supertubes) · South Africa 5–7 ft faces on a median day · surfable about 92% of May days · 18 C / 64 F, [object Object] 17 Uluwatu · Indonesia 6–8 ft faces on a median day · surfable about 92% of May days · 29 C / 85 F, [object Object] 18 Bells Beach · Australia 4–6 ft faces on a median day · surfable about 90% of May days · 16 C / 61 F, [object Object] 19 Padang Padang · Indonesia 6–8 ft faces on a median day · surfable about 90% of May days · 29 C / 85 F, [object Object] 20 Somo (Santander) · Spain 2–4 ft faces on a median day · surfable about 90% of May days · 16 C / 60 F, [object Object] · holds near its best all year 21 Teahupoo · French Polynesia 8–10 ft faces on a median day · surfable about 88% of May days · 28 C / 83 F, [object Object] 22 Muizenberg · South Africa 5–7 ft faces on a median day · surfable about 77% of May days · 16 C / 60 F, [object Object] 23 Lahinch · Ireland 2–4 ft faces on a median day · surfable about 76% of May days · 14 C / 57 F, [object Object] 24 Praia Mole, Florianopolis · Brazil 1–3 ft faces on a median day · surfable about 54% of May days · 22 C / 72 F, [object Object]

Months are medians from years of hindcast, not a forecast (how we read the hindcast). A median tells you when to plan a trip, not what a given week will do. Fares move daily; treat an observed fare as evidence of what the route does in May, not a quote. Taking a board? Airline board fees · will your bag fit.

The right week inside May is the whole game

A month page can tell you where the season is. BarrelFare watches the live forecast and the live fare at every one of these breaks, and tells you when a cheap flight lands on real swell.

Get the app