Holy Cow, Nazaré is blowing the roof off..

[peazz]

Hey Everyone!

Hope that you are all keeping well, I have not been active at all since May, things have been tough but im powering on regardless of being landed locked for just as long, things are picking up - I have much planned for next year and even have a few article ideas for SF that could really help out some beginners.

Anyway back on track. I have just seen something that popped up on my news feeed and I must say I cant even digest what I am seeing..

A quote from Surf Europe on their facebook:

Holy fleshin'! @benjaminsanchis @ericrebiere and @alexlaurelphotographie were at Nazaré yesterday. "Got the biggest wave of my life" said Sancho on his Instagram

Judging by the image that was attached, I am not really surprised at all by the swearing, I said exactly the same.


Now Im not wave guru, but this seems like a serious contender for the wave Garrett McNamara scored at Nazaré back in 2013, what do you guys think?

Garrett McNamara surfing monster wall at Nazaré

[BaNZ]

I'm thinking that surfing a wave that size must feel like skiing when there is an avalanche behind you.

[oldmansurfer]

That is a great big wave place because of number of days it is huge and closeness to the shore so easy to video and watch but the wave has a slopey shape when it's huge and that makes it difficult to tell how tall the wave is verses the length of the slope. Also I hear it is a dangerous place in terms of closeness to shore and no break in the waves

[peazz]

@banz - Man I cant even start to imagine what surfing a wave that size is like, but I bet you are right much like skiing!

@OMS - Looking at MSW's videos they have up of this swell it seems relentless mate, constant peaks and a deck stacked in favour of mothernature.

[oldmansurfer]

Here is a link to a story about the real height of the waves http://www.surfingmagazine.com/blogs/nazare-canyon-reality-check/

[peazz]

I remember reading this when I first saw Garrets wave, thanks for digging it up OMS!

[billie_morini]

I'd like to get up close to one of these big waves. They are mind-blowing.

[BaNZ]

Off to Portugal 3 weeks for a surf/working holiday. I'll be an hour away from Nazare, maybe I'll be able to watch it live!

[dtc]

I'm thinking that surfing a wave that size must feel like skiing when there is an avalanche behind you.

yeah, there is an interview with Garrett (who did the 100ft thing last year) where he says its pretty much like snowboarding down a very bumpy slope - you get towed in and just head downhill as fast as you can, don't even attempt to turn or anything. Not that its easy, even once you get past the fear factor - that women last year (maya) who almost drowned broke her ankle just from the bumps.

I know its 'surfing' in that it uses similar equipment to what I use (ie a board) and its on a wave, but its not really surfing for me. I'm much more impressed by the guys on waves like Mavericks (read up on Jeff Clarke and Doc Renneker) or Shipstern (and even more so with Teahupoo and Pipeline etc when they paddle in).

Obviously I'll never go anywhere near Nazare so easy for me to say...heck, I don't even go near my local beach when its too far overhead.

[peazz]

I'm thinking that surfing a wave that size must feel like skiing when there is an avalanche behind you.

yeah, there is an interview with Garrett (who did the 100ft thing last year) where he says its pretty much like snowboarding down a very bumpy slope - you get towed in and just head downhill as fast as you can, don't even attempt to turn or anything. Not that its easy, even once you get past the fear factor - that women last year (maya) who almost drowned broke her ankle just from the bumps.

I know its 'surfing' in that it uses similar equipment to what I use (ie a board) and its on a wave, but its not really surfing for me. I'm much more impressed by the guys on waves like Mavericks (read up on Jeff Clarke and Doc Renneker) or Shipstern (and even more so with Teahupoo and Pipeline etc when they paddle in).

Obviously I'll never go anywhere near Nazare so easy for me to say...heck, I don't even go near my local beach when its too far overhead.

Its just the sheer scale of the wave invovled that gets me, I agree its much more gripping to watch people trying to surf gnarly waves, the one that makes me cringe and froth at the mouth both at the same time is The Right in WA....

I understand that swell direction will have a huge impact on the way the wave breaks against the reef as sometimes its a pretty clean wave, but some days it bears it teeth...



It looks like such an unpredicatable wave, with so much water moving I imagine you meet the kraken on wipeouts! Must take so much skill to surf a wave like that is its most unpredictable form.

[oldmansurfer]

Saw this link while waiting to see if the Pipeline Masters is going to run
http://www.redbull.com/en/surfing/stories/1331695047376/video-highlights-of-a-special-day-in-portuguese-surfing