Conditions at Reef in February
February: Peak Winter Consistency
February is a mirror image of January: serious, sustained, and consistently powerful. Average swell height drops only marginally to 8.2ft (2.5m), while the average period stays at a meaty 12.9 seconds. The directional spread is very similar - NW and WNW dominate, with NNW and W contributing - meaning the reef receives a near-constant stream of long-period groundswell from the optimal west-to-northwest window. This is pumping territory by our rating scale, with a substantial share of the month holding in the 5-8ft (1.5-2.5m) range and heavier NW sets occasionally pushing through 8ft (2.5m).
Wind is the main variable. The offshore east to southeast quadrant supplies 18-22% of the hourly readings, with the ideal-for-surfing figure at 22%. The rest of the time, NNW and N winds blow at moderate-to-fresh strength, keeping the surface bumpy and occasionally mixing in short-period chop. Water temperature reaches its annual minimum at 14.2°C and air temperatures sit near 11.8°C, so it is still full winter. But the clean windows between Atlantic fronts are as good as it gets anywhere in Europe.
Average Spot conditions at Reef in February
Swell history for February
Wind history for February
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Reef during February. Based on historical data, there is a % probability of groundswell occurring this month. The chart below provides a detailed breakdown of the average wave height distribution, offering deep insights into the swell quality and surf potential you can expect at Reef for your next trip in February.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Reef for February. Our analysis shows that favorable offshore or side-shore winds coincide with surfable swell approximately % of the time. The accompanying graph illustrates the average size distribution of waves during these optimal wind windows at Reef.