Month guide · February

Surfing in February

The coldest water, longer days and the chance of a dream run

February is when the sea reaches its lowest temperature across northern Europe, and it is still squarely in the storm season. But it holds a secret: when a cold area of high pressure settles over Europe, the wind turns east and blows offshore along the west-facing coasts of France and Portugal while the Atlantic keeps sending swell. In February 2021 that combination gave Hossegor a run of clean, powerful days that surfers still talk about.

You cannot plan for a dream run, but you can be ready for one. Bring your thickest suit, watch the charts for easterly winds, and use the stormy days to explore the sheltered points and rivermouths of the Spanish coast. If you would rather be warm, the reefs of the Canaries, Madeira and the Azores are in season, with the sea at 16.5–19 °C.

At a glance

🌡️ Water: 3 °C Denmark – 19 °C Canaries
This is the coldest water of the year in the north: averages are about 3 °C at Skagen in Denmark, 5.5 °C in Lofoten, 7.5 °C in Orkney and 10 °C at Galway. It is about 12.5 °C at Biarritz, 15 °C at Lisbon, 16.5 °C in the Azores and 19 °C around Gran Canaria.
🧥 Wetsuit: 5/4 mm, boots, gloves and hood
A 5/4 mm with boots everywhere from Biscay north; add gloves and a hood in Brittany, Normandy, Britain and Ireland, and a 6/5 mm in Scandinavia, where the water drops to 3–5.5 °C. Portugal is a 4/3 or 5/4 mm with boots; the Canaries and Madeira a 3/2 or 4/3 mm.
🌊 Swell: Powerful NW winter swells
Winter swells keep coming, and Basque tourism still counts February in the big-wave season. The famous 2021 run in Hossegor came from north-west swell lining up with a rare spell of offshore easterlies. The same swells feed Peniche and Ericeira, the west of Ireland, and the north-facing reefs of the Atlantic islands.
🌬️ Wind: Stormy, with rare easterly spells
Onshore storm days are common. The prize is a cold high-pressure spell with easterly winds, which blow offshore on the Landes, Gironde and Portuguese beaches. In the Canaries the trade wind often picks up in the afternoon, so mornings are usually the cleanest.
☀️ Air: Highs 1.5–21.5 °C
Average highs are about 1.5 °C in Lofoten, 7 °C in Orkney, 9 °C in Galway and 13 °C in Biarritz, against 16 °C in Lisbon and 21.5 °C in Gran Canaria. Clear, cold spells can bring frosty mornings in the north.
👥 Crowds: Quiet, busier over winter holidays
French winter holidays are staggered by zone: 6–22 February for zone C (Paris), 13 February–1 March for zone A (including Bordeaux) and 20 February–8 March for zone B (including Rennes and Nantes) in 2027. Ski resorts take most of the crowd, but coast towns get busier at weekends. Northern beaches are close to empty, while the best reefs in the Canaries stay busy.
🌅 Daylight: ~9.5 h north · ~11 h Canaries
Days are noticeably longer: mid-month the sun rises around 08:05 in Biarritz and 08:25 in Brest and sets around 18:35–18:40. Thurso has about 9.5 hours of light, from 07:50 to 17:05, and Las Palmas about 11, from 07:40 to 18:50. Lofoten is back to nearly eight hours.

Where to go

Landes

The place to be when an easterly lines up with a north-west swell. Culs Nus and La Gravière were the stars of the February 2021 run.

Bizkaia

Mundaka is still in season, and the Sopela coast gives everything from big-wave reefs to friendly beaches.

Asturias

The rivermouths and reefs of Asturias need winter's big north-west swells; the regional tourism office recommends winter for experienced surfers.

Pays Basque

The reefs and points of Guéthary and Saint-Jean-de-Luz work on long-period swells, with Hendaye's sheltered bay as the easy option on the biggest days.

Portugal Centro

Supertubos, Peniche's famous beach break, and the sheltered bays on the other side of the peninsula give options for every wind. A cold, clear spell with easterlies blows offshore on most of this coast.

Lisbon coast

Ericeira's reefs and points, from Coxos to Ribeira d'Ilhas, are in season, and the beaches of Sintra and Cascais give easier options within an hour of Lisbon.

Lanzarote and Fuerteventura

The volcanic reefs of La Santa and Fuerteventura's North Shore work on winter's north swells, in water around 18 °C. Many are heavy and localised; Famara's long beach suits everyone else.

Madeira

Paul do Mar and Jardim do Mar need big north-west swells, which are still regular in February. The line-ups are small and capable.

Ireland West

Aileen's below the Cliffs of Moher, the slab at Crab Island and the reefs around Doolin take the full force of winter swell. Expect cold water and few people.

Norway

By February the polar night is over in Lofoten and the days lengthen quickly. Unstad, the home of Arctic surfing, is in season, but the water is about 5.5 °C and the air close to freezing.

The 21 best spots in February

  1. Hossegor – La Gravière

    Soorts-Hossegor · Landes · Expert · Beach break · live cam

    On a long-period west-north-west swell with a light east wind, Europe's most famous beach break throws its winter barrels. Experts only.

  2. Hossegor – Les Culs Nus

    Soorts-Hossegor · Landes · Advanced · Beach break

    One of the stars of the famous February 2021 run, when north-west swell met offshore easterlies. Fast and punchy, often called Hossegor's most consistent bank; advanced surfers.

  3. Supertubos

    Peniche · Portugal Centro · Expert · Beach break · live cam

    One of Europe's heaviest beach breaks, where the harbour breakwater shapes thick, fast barrels. It wants a 1.5–3 m west to south-west swell and a north-east wind, so clear, cold days with a north-easterly are the ones to watch. Experts; crowded when it works.

  4. Mundaka

    Bizkaia · Expert · River mouth

    Winter is Mundaka's season: a big north-west swell, a southerly and a falling low tide. Experts only; the line-up is small and competitive.

  5. Ericeira – Ribeira d'Ilhas

    Ericeira · Lisbon coast · Intermediate · Point break · live cam

    The most forgiving of Ericeira's reefs, a long right point over flat rock that works on most swells. Winter's north-west swells and an east wind give rides of a few hundred metres; intermediates and up, and it is crowded most of the time.

  6. Aileens

    Liscannor · Ireland West · Expert · Reef break

    A giant right below the Cliffs of Moher that needs a large, long-period west swell and an east wind, so it only breaks in the depth of winter. Huge, hollow and powerful; for elite big-wave surfers only.

  7. Rodiles – river left

    Villaviciosa · Asturias · Advanced · River mouth · live cam

    Surf forecasters show this rivermouth working most often in the winter months on big north-west swells. One of the best lefts in Spain, for advanced surfers.

  8. Paul do Mar

    Calheta · Madeira · Advanced · Point break · 2 live cams

    A long, fast right along the shore of a fishing village on Madeira's west coast. On a good north swell the sections link into long walls with hollow parts; advanced surfers, and the seawall causes backwash at high tide.

  9. Saint-Jean-de-Luz – Lafitenia

    Saint-Jean-de-Luz · Pays Basque · Advanced · Point break

    This long right point wants the 1.5–3 m north-west to west swells that are common in winter, with a south-east to east wind. Advanced surfers.

  10. El Hierro

    Majanicho · Lanzarote and Fuerteventura · Advanced · Reef break

    Fuerteventura's most famous spot, with a fast, hollow left and a shorter right over volcanic reef. Winter's north swells and a southerly wind are the ticket; advanced surfers, busy at weekends.

  11. Guéthary – Parlementia

    Guéthary · Pays Basque · Advanced · Reef break · live cam

    The Basque big-wave reef needs long-period swell of two to four metres and a light south-east wind, a winter combination. Advanced surfers on bigger boards.

  12. Easkey Left

    Easkey · Ireland North West · Intermediate · Reef break

    One of Ireland's classic lefts, by the old castle at the Easkey rivermouth: a steep take-off, a fast tube section and a long wall. It holds from head high to well overhead on north-west swells with a southerly wind.

  13. La Santa – Morro Negro (La Derecha)

    La Santa · Lanzarote and Fuerteventura · Advanced · Point break

    A long, thick right below the black hill at La Santa on Lanzarote that holds very big swell, one of the best rights in the Canaries. Fun when small, serious above head height; calmer than the left across the bay.

  14. Unstad

    Vestvågøy (Lofoten) · Norway · Intermediate · Point break

    The home of Arctic surfing, in a bay under the mountains of Lofoten. A long left point, a hollow right and sand peaks work on west-north-west swells; by mid-February the days are back to nearly eight hours, and the water is about 5.5 °C.

  15. Mosteiros

    Ponta Delgada · Azores · Advanced · Point break

    A long right that peels along rock and sand at the far western tip of São Miguel in the Azores, with an easy entry from the black-sand beach. It likes a north-west to west swell at low tide; advanced, with 10–20 island surfers at most.

  16. La Izquierda (Spanish Left)

    Playa de Las Américas · Western Canaries · Advanced · Reef break

    Tenerife's most famous wave, a long left over volcanic rock in the middle of Playa de Las Américas. Winter's west and north-west swells wrap in; small days suit good intermediates, bigger days experts, and the local standard is very high.

  17. Isla de Santa Marina

    Ribamontán al Mar · Cantabria · Expert · Reef break

    Cantabria's big-wave right only breaks on large, long-period north-west swells. For experts; it is famous for holding very big surf.

  18. Noja – El Brusco

    Noja · Cantabria · Advanced · Beach break

    A celebrated beach break that throws powerful, hollow peaks at high tide on a 1.5–3 m swell with a southerly. It does not work on small swells, so winter suits it.

  19. Banzai

    Santa Marinella · Central and South Italy · Intermediate · Reef break

    The best-known wave near Rome, a peak over flat reef that needs a winter storm swell from the south-west. Intermediate and up; very crowded at weekends, so respect the pecking order.

  20. Capbreton – L'Estacade / Plage Centrale

    Capbreton · Landes · Intermediate · Jetty

    The Gouf spreads swell away from central Capbreton, so the pier works as a refuge when the Landes are too big.

  21. Hendaye – Grande Plage

    Hendaye · Pays Basque · Beginner · Beach break · 2 live cams

    Hendaye's long bay faces north and is sheltered from most swell and wind, so it only wakes up when the open coast is head high or more. On a big February day that makes it the easy, friendly option.

Tips from the line-up

  1. Watch for easterly winds on the charts. A cold high over Europe plus Atlantic swell is the recipe for the best days in the Landes.
  2. Gloves and a hood are worth it in the north: the coldest water of the year saps energy fast. In Lofoten and Denmark, at 3–5.5 °C, add a 6/5 mm suit and a plan for warming up afterwards.
  3. Warm up before you paddle out. Cold muscles and powerful winter surf are a bad mix.
  4. Days are getting longer, so a late-afternoon session is possible again in the south by the end of the month.
  5. If the open coast is maxed out, use the sheltered spots: Capbreton, the Saint-Jean-de-Luz jetties, the Bilbao estuary beaches.
  6. Fancy warm water instead? The Canaries, Madeira and the Azores are in their winter season, with the sea at 16.5–19 °C and reefs that need exactly these north swells.

Sources