One that is turning over from the ground below. In this pocket, where swell and shore collide, the magic gift of speed is delivered. It is here that a surfer speeds down the line, makes a bottom turn, and cuts back. If the wave continues with a clean break all the way to shore, this is the “ideal wave.”

The size of a wave depends on three factors: the distance over which the wind blows across open water (the fetch), the strength of the wind, and the duration that the wind blows. The larger these factors, the larger are the waves. Not surprisingly, the largest wind waves occur on the open ocean.

When wind blows over large areas of the ocean, waves are created. How big the waves get are determined by three things: the speed of the wind, the amount of time the wind travels across the ocean and the distance that the wind travels. These waves get their energy from powerful storms formed in the deep ocean.

Fall backwards off the board, kicking the board out in front of you. Try to land your body flat, just on the wave side of the trough. The wave will tend to carry your board forward, which is why you kick it out in front, and the part of the wave just up-wave from the trough will give you a bit of a cushion to hit.

Most surfers will call an average height rather than basing a session on rogue set waves/ the biggest of the day. As a general rule, if it’s only 1ft, it’s pretty difficult to surf on, unless you longboard or are a lightweight grom/ shredding machine!

Nazaré is a very popular surfing destination because of the very high breaking waves that form due to the presence of the underwater Nazaré Canyon. The canyon increases and converges the incoming ocean swell which, in conjunction with the local water current, dramatically enlarges wave heights.

The Big Waves season in Nazare – Portugal, is between October and March (winter season in Portugal, but September and April also work in some years). So that is the best time to see the Nazare big waves.

Nazaré