For sure, the one thing that you realise when you leave SA is how lucky we are with consistent swell. There are very few other places in the world where you actually battle to remember a day when it was completely flat and wasn't able to surf.
Like Jah reckons, if you're planning a trip somewhere in spots that do suffer from flat spells - Europe, Indo (yes, even Indo gets flat) etc then it is advisable to check out the swell charts/forecasts.
As for
http://www.wannasurf.com - they rely on visitors to enter the data for the surfspots and as how you and I might have a differing views on how big a certain wave is, so the guy who entered the spot may be putting in the size of the wave face whereas you measure a wave from the back. It's the age old argument!!!
Does it get that big in England - yes, but few and far between. And does it ever get good - well, as with anywhere you have to find the best spot, the right wind and if the place suffers from huge tides then you have to catch it at the right time. Don't just go to the most popular with the masses as the masses in the UK can't ride at all so they love their gentle foaming beachies. Also, anywhere with huge tides the reef breaks may be a better bet as the moving tides make it almost impossible for decent banks to form. So check out wannasurf or pick up the Stormriders guide which is invaluable.
I spent 9 months in Cornwall a few years back - I expected no waves (this was England), the first few days were flat but then a swell pulled through and it was offshores and 4-6ft for a week ... laughing!!! Thought it was the world's best kept secret with the only thing stopping everyone heading there was the freezing cold water. However, after a few flat spells I wasn't laughing anymore. In the time I was there, I endured my share of flat spells (mostly through summer), scored a few big swells ... got directions to a semi-secret reef break that I surfed at 6ft with only 3 guys out, powerful as and as good as waves I scored in Indo.
Moral of the story ... in SA I had little need to learn anything about swell forecasting ... if you want to surf in the UK or anywhere else that suffers from the dreaded flat spell then you better get on the case else it's rather going to be a case of "should've been there ...."
