Europe

Wind, swell & tides for Europe

THE ATLANTIC OCEAN

The surf in the eastern North Atlantic depends upon low pressure systems that form off the east coast of North America and track in a roughly easterly direction towards Europe. The westerly winds on the southern flanks of these lows generate swells that propagate towards Europe and North Africa. In winter, a fluid jet stream (winds at altitudes of 5-10km) produces a procession of deep, surface, low pressure systems that can produce epic surf on many European coastlines. Clean, long-period swells will march eastwards and southwards towards the Iberian Peninsula, Biscay and beyond to the Canaries and Morocco. Meanwhile, in the British Isles and northern areas, out-of-control conditions on exposed coasts usually accompany the storm as it makes landfall. Winds can then swing offshore for a brief period of good surf, depending on coastal orientation. A split jet stream occurs when a large high pressure (or blocking anticyclone) sits in the middle of the North Atlantic, hindering the formation of deep low pressures and reducing wave heights. In summer, the North Atlantic is noticeably less energetic than in winter, with small but consistent surf. Fully exposed areas such as western Ireland and Galicia probably offer the best options as the lows take a more northerly trajectory. In late summer and early autumn, surprisingly large swells can appear from ex-hurricanes that re-energise just north of the Azores (a lot further south than normal). These rare swells can produce classic surf for the southwest-facing parts of the European coast. Europe has the 2nd largest tidal range on the planet swamping Wales with 10-14m springs and most of western Europe is in the macro-tidal range.

THE NORTH SEA

The North Sea has a narrow, long distance, groundswell window and instead relies on short fetch windswell for much of its wave action. These swells can appear from almost any direction, but are usually accompanied by the onshore winds that created them. When winter storms cross Britain, the SW winds continue into the North Sea to whip up swell for Denmark, Germany, The Netherlands and Belgium, while British North Sea surfers hope for the rare NE-SE winds to send a short swell. Summers are often flat, but autumn lows that track between Iceland and Scotland, first send westerly swells to Norway, then hopefully stall off the Scandinavian coast, pushing NW-N swells down to the North Sea Nations and the east coast of Britain. A blocking anticyclone will send more low pressure systems up north, so when the Atlantic is suffering from small swells, the North Sea is often pumping. The Baltic Sea nations hope these Atlantic lows continue their journey and blow long and hard enough for some short fetch windswell in the eastern Baltic.

THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA

It is estimated that a minimum of 76 storms per year form in the Mediterranean Sea. 52 are spawned in the western Mediterranean, 14 arrive from northern Africa and only seven come from the northern Atlantic. These Mediterranean weather systems are notoriously difficult to forecast and even small depressions can produce strong local winds, generating decent swells from a variety of directions, mainly from the E-SE, SW-W and NW-NE. Depressions can form around the Balearics or in the Gulf of Lion and generally head towards Northern Italy or take a more southerly path to Sicily before weakening. Occasionally, a system will form over North Africa and kick into the sea off Tunisia. Far more reliable is the ever-present NW Mistral wind, which is the major wave producer in the western Mediterranean. Otherwise, windswells from all points of the compass bring waves to a diversity of shores from southern Spain to eastern Italy and beyond into the Ionian and Aegean. Wave heights rarely exceed 10ft and peak wave period typically ranges from 7 to 9 seconds. The Mediterranean experiences micro-tidal ranges measured in centimetres as do the similarly enclosed Baltic and Black seas, which means anytime is a good time to surf.