Swell Alert: A Week for Everyone!

The start of this year has already been fairly active for the North Atlantic, for evidence, see here. The trend’s about to continue because from tomorrow, a round of fun-sized swell will unload on the shores of Western Europe, for a week-long run that any surfer can enjoy.

This swell will come in from the W/WNW, with head high plus surf for the South West UK and the more exposed spots along Europe’s surf flank.

Live cam: Fistral

You may already be feeling that initial pulse today, which comes courtesy of a small low pressure system that’s moving in an ESE direction.

This low will move ashore to France’s south west, tomorrow, bringing rain and unpleasant weather. It’ll then go on to produce surf in the western Mediterranean into the weekend.

There’s also some west wind sitting on top of a strong high-pressure system in the Azores. This will keep west swell in the water for Saturday and Sunday morning. By the afternoon, a stronger, mid-period pulse will peak for the South West UK, with overhead surf and bigger sets at the reefs or sandbars that lap up W/WNW swell energy. This will then filter down into France and Portugal by Monday.

It’s not quite over then. Quickly on its heels there is another low pressure that will be moving off the USA’s east coast today. It is set to strengthen tomorrow, as it moves to the NE across the mid-Atlantic.

There’s a strong, W wind to the south of its centre, which will provide W/WNW swell that will linger well into next week.

Throughout, we won’t see perfect conditions everywhere, but there will be moments of good conditions, and light wind, during this swell run with days of surf for every kind of surfer. Basically, go surfing.

Where to surf? We've got a cam for that: Fistral | Croyde | Supertubos | Mundaka