When you first start surfing, a wave that is a meter tall from where you are lying on your board can already seem intimidating as hell. So why are there people out here surfing waves that grow up to 50 feet in size?!

I guess the answer is to push the limits of big wave surfing, to push the physical human body, and to do something that only a handful of people have ever done on this planet.

Big wave surfing is a niche left to special kinds of humans. I personally like to cap my wave sizes at double over head but hey, we all have our own preferences.

So if you’re out here looking to get towed into monsters, or to find out where you can watch these epic feats go down, read on to learn about the biggest and greatest waves of the world.

Nazare - Portugal

The biggest and scariest of them all, the queen of XXL surfing, is Nazare. This beast can reach heights of 100 feet, and break so close to the land that if you’re watching from the lookout point, the ground actually shakes beneath your feet.

This unbelievable wave was first brought to light in the big wave surfing world by Garett McNamara in his search for the 100 foot wave. Guess he found it.

It is the mechanical result of extreme differences in depth over a short distance. It is the combination of two changes that happen drastically and at the same point: where deep water meets the continental shelf, and where deep water meets the underwater canyon. This meeting point is where the water converges up and produces the wave known as Nazare.

Waimea Bay - North Shore Oahu, Hawaii

The well-known site of the famous Eddie Aikau big wave surfing invitational event is Waimea Bay. A freak of nature, this wave can reach up to monstrous heights of 50 feet and the event, is only ever held when sizes reach above 20.

The prestigious event is named after Eddie, the first life guard of Waimea Bay and the entire North Shore region. He was one of the bravest surfers and Hawaiians of his time. He would surf and protect Waimea, hence this event is held in honour of him, and in honour of the place that big wave surfing holds in the culture of Hawaii and its people.

Teahupo - French Polynesia, Tahiti

An absolute wonder of nature is Teahupo in Tahiti. First ridden by local Thierry Vernaudon in 1985, this wave is now one of the most famous big wave surfing spots in the world, breaking over live reef and against a backdrop of stunning island paradise.

Teahupo sucks up so dramatically that the actual height of the wave can be double, sometimes triple, the height of the wave from the back. It produces one of the biggest and hollowest barrels in the world and can reach 45 foot conditions, with the biggest wave ever surfed on record reaching a whopping 80 feet.

Shipstern Bluff - Tasmania, Australia

The ugliest monster wave that we currently know about is Shipstern Bluff. This is the home of Red Bull’s Cape Fear event. Growing up to 30+ feet, Shipstern Bluff is the wildest mutant slab on the planet.

As if it’s sheer size wasn’t scary enough, it barrels over sharp reef, whilst also producing one, sometimes two “steps” in the wave, where you basically have to airdrop over whilst trying to stay in the tube. What’s more, if you get caught inside, you’re mere meters away from getting washed on to a rock shelf.

With barrels big enough to fit a bus and lips heavy enough to keep you waiting on the bottom, this wave at its peak, should definitely only be taken on by the pros.

Cortes Bank - California

Located out at sea, about 110 miles off of Southern California, the phantom wave at Cortes Bank made its debut to the world in Project Neptune. Made in 2001, this surf film shows Mike Parsons getting towed into a 65 foot face of a wave, and if that’s not enough he went back 7 years later and upped this pedestal to 75 feet.

Breaking because of an underwater island with mountain ranges that rise dramatically, Cortes Bank is one of the most mind boggling waves in existence - imagine riding a wave with 50ft of whitewash power behind you and nothing but the blue ocean expanse in front of you, no land in sight. It’s definitely one for the books.

So forget about the supposed “sea monsters” of krakens and megalodons. The real-life beasts of the seas are the waves, and our heroes are the ones who ride them.

Written by Kayli Wouters

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