Big Wave Surfing report experts earlier this month warned of a North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). This is a fluctuation in the atmospheric pressure difference between the Icelandic low and the Azores high. Consequently, this would cause a few tidal waves during the month of December.
As a result, big waves reach Nazaré, a town located in the District of Leiria in Portugal. At the shores of this picturesque seaside Portuguese village sits the largest submarine canyon in Europe, the Nazaré Canyon.
Underwater Canyon
This underwater canyon is about 16,000 ft deep and has a length of about 140 miles. The canyon can be divided into three distinct sections. First, the upper section has a distinctive V-shape and extends for 0.6 miles off Nazaré to the edge of the continental shelf 37 miles away. Second, the middle section consists of a continental slope from the platform’s edge to a depth of 13,290 feet. Finally, the third section is the bottom at a depth of 16,310 feet and 131 miles long until reaching the Iberian Abyssal Plain.
Furthermore, the distinctive characteristics of the upper section of this canyon allow for waves to travel at a much greater speed. This is due to the geological fault which allows the waves to arrive at the coast with virtually no energy dissipation. As a result, this creates high breaking waves, especially at Praia do Norte, a hotspot for big wave surfing. Surfers from everywhere in the world train all year round to ride Nazaré’s giant waves.
World Records
In 2011, Hawaiian surfer Garret McNamara surfed a 79 ft wave from through to crest. Later, in 2018, Brazilian surfer Rodrigo Koxa officially broke the world record for the world’s biggest with an official registered 80 ft. wave. As a result, the World Surf League confirmed this achievement at its Big Wave Awards in Santa Monica, California. Finally, in 2020, Maya Gabeira broke the record for the largest wave ever surfed by a woman. The 73.5 ft wave, helped her win the WSL’s 2020 women’s XXL Biggest Wave Award. By contrast, that year’s men’s XXL Biggest Wave Award winner, Kai Lenny, rode a 70-foot wave.
If you are interested in watching this terrifying and yet exciting event, Nazaré is one hour away from Lisbon by car. However, confirmation of the breaking of giant waves is only given 48 hours in advance. If you decide to go, you must go to Fort of San Miguel Arcángel in Nazaré. There is a natural amphitheater from which to watch the huge wave show.
The event is continuously broadcast live from three different perspectives. You can also watch it at the World Surf League.
The event is scheduled to be live on December 13 at 8 am WET.