May is when the size arrives. Storms in the far Southern Ocean start producing consistently, the swell travels most of the length of the Pacific, and it lands on a coast pointing almost straight at it. Santa Catalina is the wave that most rewards it: a long right over reef that lengthens as the swell gets bigger.
It is also when the rain starts. Panama's wet season runs May to November, and in practice that means clear mornings and heavy afternoons rather than washed-out days, but it changes what a week looks like: surf early, and plan the rest of the day around a downpour that usually arrives.
The two gulfs have converged. Venao is back to 28°C and Santa Catalina is at 29°C, and from here until November there is no useful difference between them.
