Study
How cold is the sea in winter at Europe’s surf towns?
Water temperature in December, January and February at 50 surf towns with camps in France, Spain, Portugal and Morocco, measured over three winters and checked against a second, independent source.
Data: winters 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25. Published October 2, 2026.
Update, October 6, 2026: the site’s own wave and water figures now come from new sources (Copernicus Marine wave reanalysis and NOAA CoralTemp). This study is kept as published: “our data” below is the site’s Open-Meteo data of the time, so the destination pages now show different figures.
What the data shows
- Canary Islands: 18.9–20.3 °C in the coldest winter month, the warmest water in the study, and the only region where a 2 mm suit is enough by Rip Curl’s chart.
- Then: Morocco 16.7–17.0 °C, Azores 16.8–17.0 °C, Algarve and Cádiz 15.8–16.3 °C, Portugal’s west coast 14.5–15.6 °C, northern Spain 13.3–14.2 °C, and French Atlantic coast 11.0–13.1 °C.
- From Soulac-sur-Mer (11.0 °C) to Costa Adeje (20.3 °C): 9.3 °C apart in the coldest month.
- Two independent sources agree: for each of the 50 towns, the coldest month differs by at most 0.5 °C between our data and NOAA’s satellite record (median month: 0.2 °C).
- Days with waves for learning are an estimate, not a measurement: two wave models differ by a median 6 points and up to 51, so the table gives a range and flags 28 towns.
Coldest winter month, by town
Median sea surface temperature of the coldest of December, January and February, over the winters 2022-23 to 2024-25. Colour shows the wetsuit Rip Curl’s chart gives for that temperature.
Canary Islands · 18.9–20.3 °C
- Costa Adeje: 20.3 °C (Feb) · 2 mm spring suit
- El Médano: 20.1 °C (Feb) · 2 mm spring suit
- Las Palmas: 19.9 °C (Feb) · 2 mm spring suit
- Moya: 19.9 °C (Feb) · 2 mm spring suit
- Tacoronte: 19.9 °C (Feb) · 2 mm spring suit
- El Cotillo: 19.1 °C (Feb) · 2 mm spring suit
- Corralejo: 19.0 °C (Feb) · 2 mm spring suit
- Lajares: 19.0 °C (Feb) · 2 mm spring suit
- Famara: 18.9 °C (Feb) · 2 mm spring suit
- La Santa: 18.9 °C (Feb) · 2 mm spring suit
Morocco · 16.7–17.0 °C
- Mirleft: 17.0 °C (Feb) · 3/2 mm full suit
- Sidi Ifni: 17.0 °C (Feb) · 3/2 mm full suit
- Essaouira: 16.8 °C (Feb) · 3/2 mm full suit
- Imsouane: 16.7 °C (Feb) · 3/2 mm full suit
- Taghazout: 16.7 °C (Feb) · 3/2 mm full suit
Azores · 16.8–17.0 °C
- Ponta Delgada: 17.0 °C (Feb) · 3/2 mm full suit
- Ribeira Grande: 16.8 °C (Feb) · 3/2 mm full suit
Algarve and Cádiz · 15.8–16.3 °C
- Lagos: 16.3 °C (Feb) · 3/2 mm full suit
- Sagres: 16.1 °C (Feb) · 3/2 mm full suit
- El Palmar: 16.0 °C (Feb) · 4/3 mm full suit, booties
- Aljezur: 15.8 °C (Feb) · 4/3 mm full suit, booties
- Carrapateira: 15.8 °C (Feb) · 4/3 mm full suit, booties
Portugal’s west coast · 14.5–15.6 °C
- Vila Nova de Milfontes: 15.6 °C (Feb) · 4/3 mm full suit, booties
- Porto Covo: 15.4 °C (Feb) · 4/3 mm full suit, booties
- Ericeira: 15.0 °C (Feb) · 4/3 mm full suit, booties
- Magoito (Sintra): 15.0 °C (Feb) · 4/3 mm full suit, booties
- Costa da Caparica: 14.9 °C (Feb) · 4/3 mm full suit, booties
- Peniche: 14.9 °C (Feb) · 4/3 mm full suit, booties
- Santa Cruz: 14.9 °C (Feb) · 4/3 mm full suit, booties
- Praia da Tocha: 14.5 °C (Feb) · 4/3 mm full suit, booties
Northern Spain · 13.3–14.2 °C
- Valdoviño: 14.2 °C (Feb) · 4/3 mm full suit, booties
- Razo: 14.1 °C (Feb) · 4/3 mm full suit, booties
- Oyambre: 13.7 °C (Feb) · 4/3 mm full suit, booties
- Salinas: 13.7 °C (Feb) · 4/3 mm full suit, booties
- Somo: 13.7 °C (Feb) · 4/3 mm full suit, booties
- Suances: 13.7 °C (Feb) · 4/3 mm full suit, booties
- Berria (Santoña): 13.6 °C (Feb) · 4/3 mm full suit, booties
- Laga (Urdaibai): 13.5 °C (Feb) · 4/3 mm full suit, booties
- Ribadesella: 13.5 °C (Feb) · 4/3 mm full suit, booties
- Zarautz: 13.4 °C (Feb) · 4/3 mm full suit, booties
- Sopela: 13.3 °C (Feb) · 4/3 mm full suit, booties
French Atlantic coast · 11.0–13.1 °C
- Biarritz: 13.1 °C (Feb) · 4/3 mm full suit, booties
- Capbreton: 12.9 °C (Feb) · 4/3 or 5/4 mm, booties and gloves
- Hossegor: 12.9 °C (Feb) · 4/3 or 5/4 mm, booties and gloves
- Seignosse: 12.8 °C (Feb) · 4/3 or 5/4 mm, booties and gloves
- Moliets: 12.7 °C (Feb) · 4/3 or 5/4 mm, booties and gloves
- Vieux-Boucau: 12.6 °C (Feb) · 4/3 or 5/4 mm, booties and gloves
- Biscarrosse: 12.4 °C (Feb) · 4/3 or 5/4 mm, booties and gloves
- Lacanau: 11.9 °C (Feb) · 4/3 or 5/4 mm, booties and gloves
- Soulac-sur-Mer: 11.0 °C (Feb) · 4/3 or 5/4 mm, booties and gloves
Which wetsuit
The wetsuit column follows Rip Curl’s published chart for the coldest month: above 18 °C a 2 mm spring suit, 16–18 °C a 3/2 full suit, 13–16 °C a 4/3 with booties, 9–13 °C a 4/3 or 5/4 with booties and gloves. Charts differ: O’Neill’s puts most of these temperatures one suit thicker. Wind, sun, how long you stay in and how cold you feel all move it.
All 50 towns
Water per month (our data), the coldest month in NOAA’s independent record, the typical open-sea swell, and how often there are waves for learning.
| Town | Dec | Jan | Feb | NOAA, coldest | Wetsuit | Swell offshore | Days for learning | Camps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canary Islands | ||||||||
| Costa Adeje | 22.4 °C | 20.9 °C | 20.3 °C | 20.1 °C | 2 mm spring suit | 1.1 m · NOAA 1.2 m | 48–54% | 1 camp |
| El Médano | 22.2 °C | 20.8 °C | 20.1 °C | 20.0 °C | 2 mm spring suit | 1.1 m · NOAA 0.9 m | 25–43% · uncertain | 1 camp |
| Las Palmas | 21.9 °C | 20.7 °C | 19.9 °C | 19.7 °C | 2 mm spring suit | 1.6 m · NOAA 1.8 m | 65–79% | 3 camps |
| Moya | 21.9 °C | 20.7 °C | 19.9 °C | 19.7 °C | 2 mm spring suit | 1.6 m · NOAA 1.8 m | 31–44% | 1 camp |
| Tacoronte | 22.2 °C | 20.8 °C | 19.9 °C | 19.9 °C | 2 mm spring suit | 1.9 m · NOAA 1.6 m | No mapped spot | 1 camp |
| El Cotillo | 21.6 °C | 20.2 °C | 19.1 °C | 19.3 °C | 2 mm spring suit | 1.9 m · NOAA 1.2 m | 41–69% · uncertain | 3 camps |
| Corralejo | 21.4 °C | 20.2 °C | 19.0 °C | 19.2 °C | 2 mm spring suit | 1.8 m · NOAA 1.6 m | 31–40% · uncertain | 9 camps |
| Lajares | 21.5 °C | 20.2 °C | 19.0 °C | 19.3 °C | 2 mm spring suit | 1.9 m · NOAA 1.6 m | Reef breaks only | 4 camps |
| Famara | 21.5 °C | 20.3 °C | 18.9 °C | 19.1 °C | 2 mm spring suit | 1.9 m · NOAA 1.2 m | 21–72% · uncertain | 5 camps |
| La Santa | 21.5 °C | 20.3 °C | 18.9 °C | 19.1 °C | 2 mm spring suit | 1.9 m · NOAA 1.2 m | Reef breaks only | 1 camp |
| Morocco | ||||||||
| Mirleft | 19.2 °C | 18.9 °C | 17.0 °C | 17.1 °C | 3/2 mm full suit | 1.9 m | No mapped spot | 3 camps |
| Sidi Ifni | 19.0 °C | 18.6 °C | 17.0 °C | 16.7 °C | 3/2 mm full suit | 1.9 m · NOAA 1.9 m | No mapped spot | 3 camps |
| Essaouira | 18.0 °C | 17.6 °C | 16.8 °C | 16.6 °C | 3/2 mm full suit | 1.9 m · NOAA 1.9 m | No mapped spot | 2 camps |
| Imsouane | 18.6 °C | 18.3 °C | 16.7 °C | 16.4 °C | 3/2 mm full suit | 1.9 m · NOAA 1.8 m | 24–31% · uncertain | 7 camps |
| Taghazout | 18.9 °C | 18.3 °C | 16.7 °C | 16.6 °C | 3/2 mm full suit | 1.5 m · NOAA 1.8 m | 59–73% | 28 camps |
| Azores | ||||||||
| Ponta Delgada | 18.6 °C | 18.0 °C | 17.0 °C | 17.0 °C | 3/2 mm full suit | 2.2 m · NOAA 2.2 m | 34–41% · uncertain | 1 camp |
| Ribeira Grande | 18.4 °C | 17.7 °C | 16.8 °C | 16.9 °C | 3/2 mm full suit | 2.2 m · NOAA 2.5 m | 27–39% · uncertain | 1 camp |
| Algarve and Cádiz | ||||||||
| Lagos | 17.8 °C | 16.6 °C | 16.3 °C | 15.9 °C | 3/2 mm full suit | 1.8 m · NOAA 1.5 m | 62–69% | 1 camp |
| Sagres | 18.1 °C | 16.8 °C | 16.1 °C | 15.8 °C | 3/2 mm full suit | 2.4 m · NOAA 2.1 m | 87–88% | 7 camps |
| El Palmar | 17.1 °C | 16.6 °C | 16.0 °C | 16.1 °C | 4/3 mm full suit, booties | 1.3 m · NOAA 1.2 m | 68–71% | 1 camp |
| Aljezur | 17.4 °C | 16.5 °C | 15.8 °C | 15.6 °C | 4/3 mm full suit, booties | 2.3 m · NOAA 2.0 m | 34–47% | 3 camps |
| Carrapateira | 17.5 °C | 16.4 °C | 15.8 °C | 15.6 °C | 4/3 mm full suit, booties | 2.3 m · NOAA 2.1 m | 32–40% | 1 camp |
| Portugal’s west coast | ||||||||
| Vila Nova de Milfontes | 17.2 °C | 16.3 °C | 15.6 °C | 15.5 °C | 4/3 mm full suit, booties | 2.1 m · NOAA 2.0 m | 41–44% · uncertain | 1 camp |
| Porto Covo | 17.2 °C | 16.2 °C | 15.4 °C | 15.4 °C | 4/3 mm full suit, booties | 2.1 m · NOAA 1.6 m | 24–43% · uncertain | 2 camps |
| Ericeira | 16.7 °C | 15.8 °C | 15.0 °C | 15.0 °C | 4/3 mm full suit, booties | 2.4 m · NOAA 2.3 m | 81–83% | 17 camps |
| Magoito (Sintra) | 16.9 °C | 15.9 °C | 15.0 °C | 15.0 °C | 4/3 mm full suit, booties | 2.5 m · NOAA 2.3 m | 10–16% | 1 camp |
| Costa da Caparica | 16.4 °C | 15.8 °C | 14.9 °C | 14.9 °C | 4/3 mm full suit, booties | 2.1 m · NOAA 2.2 m | 43% | 4 camps |
| Peniche | 16.5 °C | 15.6 °C | 14.9 °C | 14.9 °C | 4/3 mm full suit, booties | 2.4 m · NOAA 2.4 m | 89–91% | 18 camps |
| Santa Cruz | 16.6 °C | 15.7 °C | 14.9 °C | 15.0 °C | 4/3 mm full suit, booties | 2.4 m · NOAA 2.3 m | 14–16% · uncertain | 1 camp |
| Praia da Tocha | 16.7 °C | 15.2 °C | 14.5 °C | 14.5 °C | 4/3 mm full suit, booties | 2.3 m · NOAA 2.1 m | 17–20% · uncertain | 1 camp |
| Northern Spain | ||||||||
| Valdoviño | 15.3 °C | 14.7 °C | 14.2 °C | 14.0 °C | 4/3 mm full suit, booties | 2.7 m · NOAA 2.7 m | 21% | 1 camp |
| Razo | 15.5 °C | 14.5 °C | 14.1 °C | 14.0 °C | 4/3 mm full suit, booties | 2.3 m · NOAA 3.0 m | 15–34% · uncertain | 1 camp |
| Oyambre | 15.3 °C | 14.3 °C | 13.7 °C | 13.5 °C | 4/3 mm full suit, booties | 1.6 m · NOAA 1.7 m | 83–84% | 5 camps |
| Salinas | 15.1 °C | 14.1 °C | 13.7 °C | 13.5 °C | 4/3 mm full suit, booties | 1.8 m | 54% · one source | 1 camp |
| Somo | 15.3 °C | 14.2 °C | 13.7 °C | 13.3 °C | 4/3 mm full suit, booties | 1.5 m · NOAA 2.0 m | 76–84% | 3 camps |
| Suances | 15.3 °C | 14.3 °C | 13.7 °C | 13.3 °C | 4/3 mm full suit, booties | 1.7 m · NOAA 1.9 m | 32–36% | 3 camps |
| Berria (Santoña) | 15.2 °C | 14.1 °C | 13.6 °C | 13.3 °C | 4/3 mm full suit, booties | 1.4 m · NOAA 2.0 m | 76–86% | 1 camp |
| Laga (Urdaibai) | 15.2 °C | 14.1 °C | 13.5 °C | 13.4 °C | 4/3 mm full suit, booties | 1.6 m · NOAA 1.7 m | 39–45% · uncertain | 1 camp |
| Ribadesella | 15.4 °C | 14.5 °C | 13.5 °C | 13.4 °C | 4/3 mm full suit, booties | 1.2 m · NOAA 1.2 m | No mapped spot | 1 camp |
| Zarautz | 15.1 °C | 13.9 °C | 13.4 °C | 13.2 °C | 4/3 mm full suit, booties | 1.1 m · NOAA 1.7 m | 56–80% · uncertain | 5 camps |
| Sopela | 14.8 °C | 13.7 °C | 13.3 °C | 13.3 °C | 4/3 mm full suit, booties | 1.2 m · NOAA 1.9 m | 76–89% | 1 camp |
| French Atlantic coast | ||||||||
| Biarritz | 15.1 °C | 13.7 °C | 13.1 °C | 12.8 °C | 4/3 mm full suit, booties | 1.8 m | 43% · one source | 4 camps |
| Capbreton | 15.1 °C | 13.7 °C | 12.9 °C | 12.6 °C | 4/3 or 5/4 mm, booties and gloves | 1.9 m | 50% · one source | 5 camps |
| Hossegor | 15.1 °C | 13.7 °C | 12.9 °C | 12.6 °C | 4/3 or 5/4 mm, booties and gloves | 1.9 m | 50% · one source | 3 camps |
| Seignosse | 15.3 °C | 14.0 °C | 12.8 °C | 12.8 °C | 4/3 or 5/4 mm, booties and gloves | 2.0 m | 48% · one source | 4 camps |
| Moliets | 14.9 °C | 13.3 °C | 12.7 °C | 12.7 °C | 4/3 or 5/4 mm, booties and gloves | 2.0 m · NOAA 2.0 m | 24–28% · uncertain | 7 camps |
| Vieux-Boucau | 14.9 °C | 13.5 °C | 12.6 °C | 12.6 °C | 4/3 or 5/4 mm, booties and gloves | 2.0 m · NOAA 2.0 m | 24–28% · uncertain | 7 camps |
| Biscarrosse | 14.2 °C | 13.0 °C | 12.4 °C | 12.0 °C | 4/3 or 5/4 mm, booties and gloves | 1.9 m · NOAA 2.1 m | 28–34% | 1 camp |
| Lacanau | 14.2 °C | 13.0 °C | 11.9 °C | 11.9 °C | 4/3 or 5/4 mm, booties and gloves | 2.0 m · NOAA 1.9 m | 29–30% | 3 camps |
| Soulac-sur-Mer | 13.0 °C | 11.5 °C | 11.0 °C | 10.5 °C | 4/3 or 5/4 mm, booties and gloves | 1.9 m · NOAA 1.8 m | 35–36% | 1 camp |
How it was measured
Water: hourly sea surface temperature from Open-Meteo Marine at a grid point 7–20 km off each town, the median for each calendar month over three winters (December 2022 to February 2025). The same point in NOAA Coral Reef Watch CoralTemp, a daily satellite record at 5 km, gives the second figure: the two differ by 0.2 °C at the median month, 0.5 °C or less in nine months out of ten, and at most 1.1 °C.
Swell: daily daylight average of the significant wave height at the same point, the median per month, from Open-Meteo Marine and from NOAA WaveWatch III (44 towns; for 6 the WaveWatch III grid has no sea cell close enough). They differ by 0.2 m at the median month and at most 0.9 m.
Days for learning: the share of days on which at least one of the town’s beach breaks (from surf-forecast.com, within 6 km) gets waves of 0.5 to 1.5 m once the swell’s direction and the beach’s exposure are allowed for (in a town with no beach break, its reefs that Wannasurf rates for all surfers). It depends on which beaches are on that list and on the wave model: fed with NOAA’s waves instead, the same calculation moves by a median 6 points and up to 51. A range wider than 15 points, or fewer than 2 beaches on the list, is marked uncertain. Schools also teach in whitewater on bigger days, which this does not count.
Open water is not the beach: a sheltered bay or a river mouth can be a degree or two different, and the waves breaking on a given beach differ from the swell offshore.
How every figure on this site is obtained
Sources
Data and citation
Cite as: findsurfcamp.com (2026). Winter surf in Europe and Morocco: water temperature at 50 surf towns. https://www.findsurfcamp.com/studies/winter-surf
The table may be reused with a link to this page (CC BY 4.0). Underlying data: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0) and NOAA (public domain).