Most people put their water gear away in October. A small group of divers, swimmers, surfers and paddlers does the opposite, and they have good reasons. In winter the lakes of the Alps freeze into clear glass, the Atlantic sends its biggest swells of the year towards Portugal and Ireland, the Mediterranean goes quiet and calm, and the harbours of Northern Norway fill with orcas. Crowds are small, prices are lower, and the light is better than in July. ❄️
The price of admission is cold, and cold is unforgiving in a very specific way. It does not usually break the person first. It breaks the equipment: a phone that shuts down at 4 °C, a battery that loses half its capacity on a boat deck, a card reader full of condensation, a key fob that spends ten minutes in a pocket soaked with spray. Winter water sports are, at heart, a logistics problem with a wonderful reward at the end of it.
This guide walks through ten winter water adventures in Europe for the 2026/27 season. For each one you get the realistic season, the water temperature as reported by local operators and surf and dive resources, what the place demands from you, and what is worth protecting in a waterproof case. We have grouped them into three families: under the ice and in the cold springs, surf and big waves, and winter sun and wildlife. Water temperatures are typical values, not guarantees, so always check current local conditions and talk to a local guide before you go. 🌊
Part 1: Under the Ice and in the Cold Springs 🧊
1. Ice diving on Lake Weissensee, Austria
Weissensee in Carinthia is one of the highest Alpine bathing lakes, and in a normal winter it freezes over completely. The ice regularly grows to around 40 centimetres or more, and the lake claims to have the largest groomed natural ice surface in Europe. From mid-December to early March the surface is a playground for skaters, walkers and cross-country skiers. Underneath, local diving centres cut a hole and take qualified divers beneath the sheet. According to the local diving centres, the ice-diving season runs from about mid-January to the beginning of March.
What it feels like is hard to describe to someone who has not done it. Light comes through the ice in a flat, blue-green glow, bubbles collect against the underside and spread into silver mirrors, and the water is very clear. You are tethered to a line, you dive with a guide and a safety diver at the hole, and the dive is planned around one simple rule: the only way out is the way you came in.
The demands are real. Ice diving is an advanced, dry-suit activity. Operators normally ask for a dry-suit certification or a logbook with a minimum number of dry-suit dives, and many offer a short introductory course for divers who have never been under ice. Regulators need to be suitable for very cold water, because standard regulators can free-flow in near-freezing conditions. Do not buy kit for this on impulse. Rent or borrow what the centre recommends.
Where a hard case earns its place is on the surface. Between the car, the heated hut and the ice, your dive computer, spare batteries, torch and phone go through repeated swings from warm to freezing, and condensation forms inside everything. A small sealed case with a few silica gel sachets keeps the electronics dry and gives you somewhere safe to put the computer between dives. If you want more on the diving side of Europe, our overview of the 10 best diving destinations in Europe covers the warmer options too.
2. Snorkelling the Silfra fissure, Iceland
Silfra is a rift in Þingvellir National Park, where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates are slowly drifting apart. The fissure fills with meltwater that has been filtered through lava rock for decades, and the visibility is often more than 100 metres. The water temperature stays at about 2 to 4 °C all year, so Silfra is not really a winter experience in the strict sense. It is the same in July and in January. What changes in winter is everything around it: short days, snow on the ground, and the chance of an aurora overhead after your tour.
The key detail is that Silfra is open to snorkellers as well as divers. Snorkelling tours are available to people who can swim and are comfortable in the water, with a minimum age of 12 at the operators we checked, and everyone wears a dry suit with a hood, which the guides fit and adjust before entry. A typical tour lasts about 30 to 40 minutes in the water. Diving in Silfra is more restricted: operators usually ask for proof of dry-suit experience, often a minimum of 10 previous dry-suit dives, and recent practice within the last two years.
Practical points: the cold hits the exposed skin of your face and your hands first, and most people describe a brief ache around the mouth and the cheeks, then the cold fades. Your guide will tell you to keep your hands inside the suit gloves and your head in the hood. Hydrate before the tour. Bring a warm layer for afterwards, because standing in a car park at 0 °C after a dip makes you feel the cold more than the dip itself.
For gear: leave the phone in the car or in a small waterproof case in the locker. Action cameras on a pole are popular at Silfra, and a hard micro case is a safe place to carry the camera, the memory cards and the spare battery until you are at the water. Planning a longer Iceland trip? Our Iceland packing and tips guide covers the clothing side, and our aurora photography guide is worth reading before you go.
3. Ice swimming and sauna in Finland
Avantouinti, or ice swimming, is part of normal winter life in Finland. You warm up in a sauna, walk out to a hole cut in the ice of a lake or the sea (the avanto), lower yourself into the water, stay for a short time, and return to the heat. It is much less extreme than it sounds when it is done the Finnish way. Public saunas in Helsinki, Tampere, Rovaniemi and many other towns have a maintained avanto, a ladder, a handrail, and staff or other swimmers close by.
The usual advice for beginners is to keep the first dip short. Local guides and sauna operators often suggest between 15 and 60 seconds, building up slowly over weeks. Enter slowly, let the water reach your neck, breathe out longer than you breathe in, and get out before you feel you want to. Cold shock, the involuntary gasp and rapid breathing when your skin meets cold water, is strongest in the first minute, which is why calm breathing matters more than courage. Wait until you are fully warm before the plunge, repeat two or three times if you like, and take at least 10 to 15 minutes of rest and tea between rounds. People with heart conditions or other medical issues should speak to a doctor first.
The same habit exists in Poland, where winter swimming clubs, known as walrus clubs, gather on the Baltic coast and at city lakes through the winter, and in Estonia, Latvia and Sweden. Most clubs welcome newcomers if you arrive with a sensible plan, a dry change of clothes and a friend.
Kit is simple: a woolly hat, neoprene gloves and boots if you want them, flip-flops or shoes with grip for the icy steps, a large towel, a thermos and a dry change. The one thing that goes wrong constantly is the phone and the keys. Leave valuables in a locker if there is one. If there is not, a small waterproof case that closes with a latch you can operate with cold fingers is far better than a pocket full of wet notes and a dead phone.
🧊 Grab & Go: micro cases for phones, keys and cards at the water's edge
Part 2: Cold-Water Surf and Big Waves 🏄
4. Surfing in the Arctic at Unstad, Lofoten, Norway
Unstad is a small, wide beach on the Lofoten islands, well north of the Arctic Circle, with granite peaks on both sides and a reliable Atlantic swell. It is also one of the best-known cold-water surf spots in Europe. The most dependable surf season is from about November to March, although rideable waves can arrive at any time of year. Mid-winter sea temperatures are around 4 to 5 °C, and in summer they rise only to about 10 to 12 °C.
Surf shops and local camps agree on the kit list: a high-quality hooded 6/5 mm full wetsuit, plus 7 mm gloves and boots. That is not an exaggeration, and it is not optional. In January the day is short, so you get a window of only a few hours of light. The surf lessons that operate there are small, practical and focused on cold-water safety, and the schools provide the equipment.
What the place demands: the right gear, and the discipline to get out of the water earlier than you want to. Cold hands fail first, and a surfer who cannot grip the board cannot paddle. A hot drink in a thermos in the car and a changing mat to stand on, so your feet are not on snow while you peel off the suit, make a bigger difference than almost any other gear decision.
Your car keys, phone, wallet and perhaps a camera memory card go in a small waterproof case that stays in the car or in a beach bag, not in the wetsuit. If you are learning, our guide to the 10 best places to learn surfing in the world will help you choose a warmer first step, and our Norway travel case guide explains how to carry gear to the north in one cabin-size case.
5. Winter surf at Thurso East, Scotland
Thurso East, on the north coast of Scotland, is a famous right-hand reef break that works in a winter swell and has hosted international contests. It is also cold. Typical winter sea temperature is around 6 to 10 °C, and surf guides recommend a 5/4 mm wetsuit for January and February at the warmer end of that range, and a 6/5 mm or 6/5/4 mm suit with a hood, gloves and boots for December to February. Hypothermia is a genuine risk and several guides repeat it. The reef break is for experienced surfers, and beginners are better off at one of the gentler beaches nearby with a local school.
What you get for the effort: long, hollow waves in a calm, quiet town, short days, northern lights on a clear night, and a warm welcome in the pubs afterwards. Thurso also has a pleasant culture around surfing in cold water: people look after each other, car park conversations are about tide and wind, and no one is in a hurry to leave.
What it demands: you need to be a confident surfer with a fitness base. Check the tide, the swell and the wind each morning, because a small change in wind direction can turn a clean wave into a messy one. Ask locals about the current etiquette in the line-up and respect it.
Equipment-wise, a wetsuit, a hood and gloves are the basics, and the second most important item is a towel, a changing robe and a thermos. A small waterproof case in the van holds the car key, a wallet and a phone. A larger Protector case, such as the Peli 1200 or 1300, keeps spare gloves, a hood and a dry base layer in one place so that you can get dressed within a minute after the session. This is worth doing: a dry hat in your hand at the end of a session is worth more than a new wetsuit.
6. Watching the giants at Nazaré, Portugal
Nazaré is a fishing town on the Atlantic coast of Portugal, and in winter it hosts the largest surfable waves on Earth. The reason is an underwater trench, the Nazaré Canyon, that funnels the energy of long-period Atlantic swell directly towards the headland at Praia do Norte. Big-wave season runs from October to March, and the core months of November to February give the highest chance of seeing very large waves, with February often delivering the most frequent big swells. Surf forecasters look for a swell period of about 13 seconds or more as a sign that the canyon will work.
You do not need to surf to be part of it. The viewing point at the lighthouse and fort above Praia do Norte is open to the public, and on a big day the cliffs are busy with photographers, families and surfers' friends. You can see jet skis towing surfers into waves with faces that can reach the height of a ten-storey building, then watch the rescue teams collect them.
The adventure here is about being there at the right moment, and that takes flexibility. Waves of this size arrive on a handful of days each winter, and the best way to catch one is to follow the forecast, stay for a few days and drive out from nearby Lisbon when the swell is confirmed. On a big day the cliff top is windy and wet from spray, so a rain shell, warm layers and a lens cloth are essential.
For photographers, spray and salt are the main threats. A telephoto lens, a body and a spare battery spend hours exposed to salt mist, and swapping lenses on the cliff is a risk. Pack the kit in a hard case with an organised interior, and wipe everything with a soft cloth before it goes back in. Never stand close to the edge, and follow the instructions of the local safety staff. If you are planning an Atlantic coast trip with a camera, a Peli Air 1535 or a Peli 1510 with dividers is the standard choice, and our guide to whether Peli cases are really waterproof explains what the IP67 rating means in practice.
7. Winter surf on Lanzarote, Canary Islands
If Lofoten and Thurso sound like too much, Lanzarote is the opposite side of the winter coin. The Canary Islands sit far enough south that the Atlantic stays comfortable all year. In January the sea temperature at Caleta de Famara is on average about 19 °C, which suits a 3/2 mm wetsuit. The surf season runs from roughly October to April, and November to February is the peak, with December and January often delivering the biggest swells of the year, and fewer of the trade winds that dominate in summer.
Famara is the main beach: a long, wide sand-bottom beach under a cliff that works for all levels, with several schools. The reefs on the north coast near La Santa hold bigger waves and suit advanced surfers when a strong winter swell arrives. A week here costs a fraction of a week in the north, and you can combine a surf session in the morning with a hike on the volcanic landscape in the afternoon.
What it demands: sun cream (the sun is stronger than you expect in January), a rash vest, and respect for rip currents and rocks. Wind and swell vary quickly, so ask the school or lifeguard before you go in.
Gear: a micro case is exactly right for this trip. Sand is the enemy, and a Peli 1010 or 1060 keeps the car key, cards and cash sand-free. Surf schools often hand out lockers, but a small waterproof case that stays with you is simpler. If you carry a camera or action camera, a Peli 1150 or 1200 protects it from sand and salt. For a general overview of travel and water in the Canaries, you can combine the surf week with a lighter packing plan from our guide to when a waterproof case beats a dry bag.
Part 3: Winter Sun and Wildlife 🐋
8. Winter diving in Malta and Gozo
Malta and Gozo are the classic answer to the question "where can I dive in Europe in January?". The sea is cooler than in summer, but it is still mild by northern standards. In January the water is typically between 15 and 17 °C, and divers normally use a 7 mm wetsuit or a semi-dry suit, often with a hood and gloves, while many prefer a dry suit. Visibility is frequently excellent, commonly 20 to 30 metres and sometimes up to 40 on a calm day after a settled spell of weather.
The real advantage of winter is quiet. Boat dives have fewer groups, the reefs, walls and wrecks are peaceful, and the shore sites such as the Blue Hole and the inland sea on Gozo can be dived in company of only a few others. Dive centres stay open through the year, and prices for flights and accommodation are noticeably lower than in July and August. Wind from the north-west can close some sites, but there is almost always a sheltered alternative on the other side of the island.
What it demands: the right thermal protection, shorter surface intervals than you might plan in summer, and warm drinks between dives. Be honest about the cold: a shiver in the first minutes of the second dive is a sign to finish early. Check with the centre which sites are suitable for your qualification.
Gear logistics are friendly. Most centres rinse and store rental equipment, but your own computer, torch, camera and spare batteries should travel in something robust. A Peli 1150 or 1200 fits a compact camera and a torch, a Storm iM2200 takes a small housing and its accessories, and many airlines accept a small hard case in the cabin as personal items (check your airline). For more ideas on where to dive, our guide to 11 diving spots in Europe that locals keep quiet is a good next read.
9. Whale watching in the fjords near Tromsø, Norway
Between late October and the end of January, Norwegian spring-spawning herring overwinter in the fjords of Troms, and orcas and humpback whales follow them. Whale-safari tours run from Tromsø and from smaller harbours such as Skjervøy, typically between November and January, and a full day tour lasts around six to eight hours. In the polar night the light is blue and soft, there is a short bright window in the middle of the day, and a clear night can bring the aurora.
This adventure is a boat trip, not a swim. Some operators in northern Norway sell in-water experiences with cetaceans, but several local organisations and guidelines discourage or ban all in-water activity with whales, and crowded waters with many boats make propellers and sudden manoeuvres a real risk. We recommend choosing an operator that works to the published whale-watching guidelines, keeps a respectful distance and is open about its practices. A quiet vessel with a good guide is a better day than a fast boat that chases animals.
What it demands: warm clothing. Operators usually provide a thermal overall, but you still need a base layer, wool socks, a hat and liner gloves. Deck temperatures are far lower than air temperatures once you add wind.
Gear matters because your equipment will live on a wet, cold, moving deck. Cameras fog when you move from the heated cabin to the deck, batteries die faster in the cold, and a long lens is difficult to protect against spray. Keep spare batteries inside your jacket against your body, and carry the camera body, lenses and cards in a hard case in the cabin until you are ready to shoot. A Peli Air 1535 or a Peli 1510 with a divider set is a popular choice for photographers. Allow the equipment to acclimatise inside the closed case before you open it in a warm room, and you will avoid most of the condensation problems that wreck a trip.
10. Sea-cave kayaking on the Algarve, Portugal
The Algarve coast between Lagos and Benagil has sandstone cliffs, arches and sea caves that are among the most photographed places in Portugal. In summer the water is crowded with boats and kayaks. In winter a few operators still run tours, and the experience is quieter, with soft light and almost no queue. The catch is the Atlantic. Local operators report that a swell above roughly 1.5 metres closes the best-known cave regardless of the tide, and between November and March, tours run only on calm days. Cancellations are common.
The best approach to winter paddling here is flexibility: book a tour with free cancellation, plan more than one day, and check the sea forecast the evening before. Guides decide on the day, and if the answer is no, the right move is to accept it. Sea kayaking is safe when the conditions are right and unforgiving when they are not.
What it demands: a guide, a life jacket, a spray skirt if you paddle a sit-inside kayak, a windproof top and a plan for what happens if you capsize. Water temperatures on the Algarve in winter are mild by northern standards but still cold enough to take your breath away if you fall in, so dress for the water, not for the air.
Gear: this is where a small waterproof case is genuinely useful. Phones, keys, cards and a camera memory card go in a case attached to a deck line or kept in the dry hatch. The Peli 1050 is described as a kayak phone case, and the 1060 is a good size for a phone with documents. If you are an owner of a kayak, our guide to 9 things to do before putting your kayak or SUP away for winter explains how to look after it between trips.
🌊 Camera, torch and cold-weather kit: small Protector and Storm cases
How Cold Water Treats Your Gear: 8 Rules That Apply Everywhere ⚙️
Whichever of the ten adventures you choose, the equipment problems are remarkably similar. These eight rules come from the patterns we hear from divers, surfers, photographers and paddlers who work in cold conditions.
1. Batteries lose capacity in the cold. Lithium batteries deliver less energy at low temperatures, and a camera or a phone may shut down even when the display shows some charge left. Carry spares inside a warm inner pocket, rotate them, and charge everything fully the night before. If a battery dies in the cold, warming it in your hands often brings back some of the capacity.
2. Condensation is the invisible enemy. When a cold camera comes into a warm room, water condenses on and inside the body, the lens and the viewfinder. The cure is slow. Keep the gear inside a closed case or a sealed bag when you come inside, wait until it reaches room temperature and only then open it. A closed hard case gives the equipment time to warm up without exposing it to humid air, and a few silica gel sachets inside help to absorb moisture.
3. Salt is worse than water. Sea spray leaves crystals that scratch glass and corrode contacts. After a day at the coast, wipe the outside of your cases with a damp cloth, let them dry, and inspect the O-ring and the seat it presses against. Our guide on what IP67 actually means for your Peli explains why a clean, undamaged O-ring matters more than almost anything else.
4. Fingers fail before equipment does. With cold hands you cannot open small zips, tiny clips or fiddly latches. When you choose a case for winter, test it with gloves on. Peli latches are designed to be operated with a thumb and are generally easier than a zip, but check on your own case.
5. Do not trust a pocket. Phones, keys and cards in a wetsuit pocket, a coat pocket or a loose bag get soaked sooner or later. A small hard case clipped to a bag or placed in a locker is cheaper than a new phone. The Peli 1060 has interior dimensions of about 21 × 10.8 × 5.7 cm, which is a useful size to hold a phone, keys and a few cards, but always measure your own phone before you buy.
6. Let the pressure valve do its job. Cases that are packed at sea level and carried up a mountain or flown on a plane can build up a pressure difference between the inside and the outside. Many Peli cases have an automatic pressure equalisation valve, and it is worth knowing how it works so that a case which seems stuck does not worry you. If a lid feels stuck after a flight or a cold night, the valve is the first thing to check.
7. Keep a dry kit apart from a wet kit. After any cold-water session, you want a dry hat, dry gloves and a dry base layer within reach. Pack them in a separate case or bag from the wet equipment. A medium case such as the Peli 1200 or 1300 is a good size for this. You will be amazed how much faster you recover when you can change into dry clothes within a minute.
8. Plan for the cold at both ends of the day. The car is a cold box in the morning and a warm room at noon. Equipment that is left in a vehicle overnight arrives at the water at the temperature of the air. If you want a camera to work at its best, keep it inside your jacket on the way and open it only when you need it.
Quick Planning Table: Which Adventure for Which Month? 📅
- October to March: Nazaré big-wave season, Lofoten surf season (November to March), Tromsø whale safaris (late October to January).
- November to February: Peak surf at Lanzarote, winter swell on the Scottish north coast, Malta and Gozo diving with the fewest crowds.
- Mid-January to early March: Ice diving on Lake Weissensee, subject to the thickness of the ice.
- All winter: Silfra (the water stays at 2 to 4 °C all year), Finnish avanto and sauna, Baltic winter swimming clubs.
- November to March, on calm days only: Winter sea-cave kayaking on the Algarve.
Checklist: Before You Leave for a Winter Water Trip ✅
- ☐ Check the current sea or lake conditions with a local source on the day, and again the evening before.
- ☐ Book activities with free cancellation wherever possible. Weather decides, not you.
- ☐ Confirm the water-temperature and wetsuit or dry-suit advice with your operator, and rent rather than buy for a first trip.
- ☐ Check your qualification against the requirements for ice diving, Silfra diving or a reef break.
- ☐ Pack spare batteries in a warm inner pocket and charge everything the night before.
- ☐ Put the phone, keys and cards in a small hard waterproof case, and put silica gel sachets inside.
- ☐ Bring a thermos, a dry hat, dry gloves and a changing mat or robe.
- ☐ Pack a first-aid kit and know where the nearest hospital is.
- ☐ Check your travel insurance covers the specific activity, as many policies exclude diving below a certain depth or ice activities.
- ☐ Tell someone where you are going and when you expect to be back.
Frequently Asked Questions ❓
Is it safe to try winter water sports as a beginner?
It can be, if you choose guided, supervised options. Finnish avanto, Silfra snorkelling and a surf lesson at a school with proper cold-water kit are all designed for beginners. Reef breaks, ice diving and sea-cave kayaking in a swell are for experienced people or for guided trips only. Always follow your guide.
Do I need a dry suit?
For Silfra and for ice diving, yes. For surfing in Norway and Scotland you need a thick hooded wetsuit, gloves and boots rather than a dry suit. In the Canary Islands a 3/2 mm wetsuit is enough in January, and in Malta many divers use a 7 mm wetsuit or a semi-dry suit.
Can I take a waterproof case on a plane?
Yes. Small hard cases are normally accepted as cabin baggage or inside a bag, but airlines set their own size and weight limits and the rules for lithium batteries apply to what is in the case. Check the airline's policy before you fly, and keep spare batteries in the cabin, not in checked luggage.
What does IP67 mean for a case?
IP67 is a standard rating: the case is dust-tight and can withstand temporary immersion in water, typically to a depth of 1 metre for 30 minutes under the test conditions. It is a good protection against rain, spray and a dropped bag in shallow water, but it is not a guarantee that a case will survive being carried deep underwater. Keep the O-ring clean and the latches closed.
Which month is best for the widest choice?
January and February offer the widest choice: ice at Weissensee, big swell at Nazaré and in the north, whale safaris near the end of their season, and good diving in Malta. The days are short, so plan your time carefully.
Final Thoughts: Winter Is the Season for Water People 🏁
The cold keeps most people away, and that is the best part of winter on the water. You get empty beaches, clear lakes, big swells and calm seas, provided you prepare for the temperature. Choose the adventure that matches your experience, take a guide when the conditions are serious, and treat the logistics of staying warm and dry as part of the trip itself. The gear does not need to be complicated. A good wetsuit or dry suit for the water, a thermos and dry clothes for the shore, and a small, tough waterproof case for the things you cannot afford to lose are enough for most of these trips.
If you would like help choosing between a micro case for a phone and keys and a larger Protector or Storm case for a camera and a torch, send us the dimensions of your equipment and we will tell you which one fits. Safe trips, and see you on the water. 🌊
