GALLERY: The North Atlantic's Deep Freeze!

Cover shot by Alan Danby

For a moment, the North Atlantic took a big ol’ inhale. A brief respite in the crazy, non-stop surf action across Western Europe over the past month or so. But on Monday, the ocean blew a complex storm into the Old Continent, not one for Portugal or Spain or France, it was onshore all the way down, but this was a few days of swell for the UK.

And as the North Atlantic exhaled that light offshore wind on Monday, it came coupled with plummeting temperatures. 1-2 degrees C at the start of the week, carnage in higher altitudes as the roads froze over, but glorious for the south west UK and beyond, like Devon, Cornwall and Dorset. The first real bite of winter and the first time a 5mm or 6mm wetsuit was a necessity, not a luxury.

Check the cams: Croyde | Fistral | Praa Sands |

Sea temp: 11 C, air temp, 2 C. This is what happens when warm sea meets cold, biting air.

MSW’s froth-lord photographer Tom Vaughan travelled around a bunch of spots on Cornwall’s north coast over Monday and Tuesday. “It was surprising how quiet it was,” he said. “Probably down to the cold temperatures. As the tide dropped on Monday, there were some really great-shaped waves, especially around the UK surfing Mecca of Newquay. Lots of people checking it from their cars... don’t really blame them.”

Simon Shields did the double, a morning south coast tube hunt and ended the afternoon on the north coast. "Rang my boss and gave all the excuses under the sun as to why I couldn't come in. We headed south and it was dead. But then the sets came in, just a long wait between them. Was cold, numb and tired after this."

This swell was accompanied by a long period of 18 seconds. Which means there were long waits between sets on the beachies of the south west UK. And even when they came through, you’d have to be somewhere with a decent bank to chop up those long swell lines, which would make for a couple of corners of brilliant but chilly surf.

That long period swells meant waits of up to 15 minutes for waves. When they arrived though... Watergate Bay, glorious and quiet.

Arguably North Fistral's favourite son, Alan Stokes, under the hood at home.

“Felt a bit under-gunned on the Form Surfboards Jet twinnie I was riding. But it made it more exiting with the late drops and looseness in the tubes,” says Newquay stalwart Alan Stokes. “The swell direction and long period really lined up for a couple hours. Perfect 6 foot Fistral, wave after wave, it doesn’t do that too often.”

Stokesy ended up surfing four hours in that deep freeze. “Ruined by the end. Just got washed in,” he said.

Frozen shores in South Devon.

All along the coastline and up to North Devon, things were looking eerily similar; long period swell, cold, biting wind. Still though, it’s been a great run for the south west UK over the past few days. Now, the attention turns to Wales and the North East of the country, stay tuned for that – and for a special day in Ireland coming soon too.

Saunton Sands, long drawn out lines. To the normal eye, it looks like a close-out, but those who surf here regularly know better.

The Headland Hotel has looked out on Fistral's peaks for 122 years. Wonder what they've seen?

Of earlier this week, forecaster Jamie Bateman said: "A solid, long-period, WSW swell quickly built into exposed beaches in Cornwall and Devon on Monday morning. The long-period energy didn’t equal perfect surf at every beach, with some suffering long-walled closeouts, but anywhere with a well-defined sand bank was pumping with solid, two-to-three foot overhead sets showing at the best breaks.

Croyde, under morning's low light on Monday.

Bright morning on Monday, a few braved the cold to check this spot in England. Pete McNic, Archie Snowling, Bede Pitcairn-Knowles and Noah Taylor assess the cold/conditions ratio.

"And the conditions? Almost as much of a talking point as the swell itself as a large Greenland high meant cold Arctic air was locked in over the SW UK. This swell-producing low pressure system moved brought with it favourable but breezy, offshore E/ESE wind. A very cold wind too. With daytime temps barely pushing above freezing, surfers everywhere were neck deep in their sheds frantically trying to remember where they stored the wetsuit boots, gloves and hoods after last winter. All worth it though, who cares if it's cold when the waves are this good."

Our North Atlantic swell period chart for Monday, showing all that juice filling into the northern parts of Europe here. Note; France was onshore.

Marc Haiselden spent the morning fishing at the River Gannel, down the way from Fistral. "Saw there might be some decent waves. Van is in the garage so went down fully suited on the bike — parking saviour living in Newquay!"

With that super long period, even The Cribbar was breaking on sets.

Louie Harrow was being harassed by the local seagulls in Devon, so he decided to become one.

Oli Goldsmith, south coast, Monday. Oli's been out of the water for a couple years to focus on skating but has just got back in the water. Keep an eye on this 17-year-old.