Watch: How One El Nino Storm Sent Surf From Pipeline to Portugal
When surfers in California see a big swell hitting Hawaii, they know that same swell is (usually) on the way. From Mavs to Mex, a Jaws day is an indication that surf is en route for the west coast.
But, who knew that surfers over in Portugal could be using that same indicator?
While the idea might seem crazy, Surfline explains why it's actually not.
"In late January, Surfline’s forecast team watched a strong winter storm spin up over Japan before steaming off into the Pacific Ocean towards Hawaii, just in time for the Lexus Pipe Pro.
"The storm dropped south, as El Niño-driven storms tend to do, and sent pumping west swell for the opening day of the event, January 31st. Surprising even to us, this storm then re-intensified and tracked towards California, generating mottled brown barrels in the South Bay before slamming into SoCal, washing out the road to San O and dumping snow in the Sierra before continuing on a cross-country track below the Rockies and reemerging in the Gulf of Mexico off Texas.
"After sending a fun pulse to the Florida Panhandle, that same storm blew off Florida's East Coast, granting its East Coast surfers a couple days of rippable waves, before moving north and producing a tube-fest on the Outer Banks and giving Caribbean hotspots their due.
"The storm then scooted out into the North Atlantic and sent a solid shot of swell to Western Europe — two weeks and 12,000 miles later. So basically, those chargers who were pulling into slabs on Valentine’s Day in Portugal were benefiting from the same exact storm that kicked off the 2024 Championship Tour season at Pipeline in January. That’s connection for you — beautifully bound by El Niño."
