Winter Heats Up the Atlantic: As Seen By You

EUROPE and North Africa has been bathed in swell for the last few weeks. No two ways around it, there's been consecutive hours of clement weather and pumping waves from Iceland to West Africa. There have of course been a few mega swells in the mix since 2013 came of age, but whilst that Atlantic winter speciality might be good for an XXL nomination and viral black blob swell charts, it generally means maxed-out beaches for the majority. What you and I, Mr Joe Average of the surfing world want (sorry Dorian) is overhead glassy walls of tubular joy, not 30ft Mully or 78ft Nazare. The second good thing about this time of year is the light, suddenly the morning dawny and the skip-off-an-hour-early from work has opened up for those without trust funds, trades or student loans. We were in Morocco recently and people were calling "best winter ever" etc. An impossible claim to quantify - but ain't it been fun? Endless waves in the solid but approachable range. If you haven't been scoring then you've missed out as this mashup from the user photos uploaded to the site should let you know. © 2013 zakiche

Porthtowan performing an hour long Indo impersonation. So many perfect waves. © 2013 Alex Callister

A wintery peak on the South Coast of the UK getting all excited by the southerly element in the swell. © 2013 DJH

We scored, big time. A group of six of us went to a secret spot on the north coast and boy was it good. Six mates surfing perfect 5 to 6 ft waves with lines as far as the eye could see and no one else out made this one of the most memorable surfs I've had in a long time. Good times. © 2013 Matthew Loots

The view from inside the shorebreak just North of Hossegor known as La Graviere. © 2013 Baptiste Haugomat

Kohl Christensen charging PMPA in front of snowy mountains in freezing waters. © 2013 Lars Jacobsen

Messanges in France looking like perfect (crowded) fun - it was like first day of spring. © 2013 Secret Spot Lodge France

This is big wave spot in France which whilst it's no secret is best left to those who know. Not least because it's a monster paddle-out. © 2013 user119372

Polzeath - if only all winters were like this. © 2013 crox

Chunky Perranporth on a stunningly sunny, (but cold) February day. © 2013 Richie Pickersgill

St Agnes nug slides through unloved. © 2013 sponger

Secret spot somewhere in Morocco, just look for the someone who's lost a boat and ask them where it is... © 2013 pointsurf

The start of what was a good week of swell. © 2013 Matthew Loots

Skindog in a thick Porthleven shackaroo © 2013 David Pick

Gordon Fontaine throwing a crazy air on the Ledges. © 2013 David Pick

Somewhere in Cornwall... © 2013 jackneale90.tumblr.com

Vincent Duvignac flying in the last light of a cold (for France) glassy Mimizan evening. © 2013 Danny Bastiaanse

Ben Skinner on one of the many bombs that came through at Porthtowan yesterday. © 2013 Matthew Loots

Porthtowan was a bit of a barrel fest late this arvo; shot from the beach for a change for Alex. © 2013 Alex Callister

Even the donkeys have been having a looksee in Morocco.

Safi again, the go-to spot when the coast is maxed. © 2013 zakiche

Le Braye, Jersey off the top. © 2013 Matt Sullivan

Unridden realm up around Machrihanish © 2013 Filfar

Somewhere in Western Ireland there's a barbed wire fence to shoot perfect waves... © 2013 Sophia Harding

This top turn was so solid it made the world tilt, a beautiful day in El Lloret, Gran Canaria. © 2013 David Herrera

Woolacombe, winter sunset, magic from above if you believe in God (who's not real). © 2013 Jay Teee

A nice little round one, with no takers. A rarity at Chally. © 2013 Angus Dugs

Whitesands Bay, Wales, is one of Pembrokeshire's more consistent beaches so long as there's a good bit of west in the swell.

The larger west swell get through to remote spots such as Sele in Norway where much reduced you can end up with a glassy two footer rolling down this boulder point. © 2013 Mark Hewitt

Glassy lefts somewhere in Western Ireland, those who've been will recognise it. © 2013 Kristian Cowin

It is however pretty icy in Norway at this time of year. © 2013 Tagava

Croyde Beach in winter, yes please. © 2013 close2sea

Porthtowan is getting a lot of love © 2013 richrips

Mundaka with no-takers? This is clearly Photoshopped. © 2013 EKTphotos

Lazi at home in the Canary Islands. © 2013 Mattia Mandreoli

Mauretto living the dream in Furteventura. © 2013 Chus Carvajal

Unridden in Lanzarote... the same can't be said of the English tourists. © 2013 Chus Carvajal

El Fronton in a twisted frame of mind, as per normal. © 2013 Martin O L

A long lonely paddle-out in Iceland is not for the faint of heart. © 2013 Dana Marlin

Supertubos at sunset, poised to live up to its moniker. © 2013 user164195

Come on ... We had to include one of Nazare. © 2013 baleixo

A 9 metre swell, 120kmh winds, tress uprooted with their roofs blown-off, but the shorey was sick.

However we did have the odd massive swell from the Atlantic, sending surfers scurrying for Mullaghmore. © 2013 donalof

Sebastian Steudtner charging massive Mullaghmore, while the mountains in the background are covered in fresh snow. © 2013 Lars Jacobsen