Swell Saturdays: The Biggest Wave Ever Ridden | 78-Footer in Portugal, Nov. 2012

Garrett McNamara on a 78-foot wave in Nazaré, Portugal in November, 2012

{Every Saturday, we’re going to attempt to inspire you to get out and surf with a sharp Surf video that will speak to your heart.  SwellBrains.com is coming soon…}

There’s been a lot of talk over the past 50 years about the ‘biggest wave ever ridden.’  In the past, it was essentially all talk.  Greg Noll allegedly surfed the biggest wave ever in Hawaii in 1969.  There are no photos, no video, but people saw it happen.

Since Greg’s big wave assault, there has been heavy documentation of big wave surfing.  Almost too much.  The Guinness Book of Records is involved.  Here’s Guinness’ top 4 biggest waves of all time:

GUINNESS BOOK OF RECORDS BIGGEST WAVES:

• Garrett McNamara: Surfed a 78-foot tall wave off the coast of Nazaré, Portugal in November of 2011.
• Mark Parsons: Tackled a 77-foot tall wall-of-water off California’s Cortes Bank in January 2008.
• Pete Cabrinha: Off the coast of Maui in January 2004, he bested a 70-foot wave at the Jaws, Maui, Hawaii.
• Tied for fourth are Brazilian Carlos Burle who surfed a 68-foot wave at Maverick’s off California in November 2001, Dan Moore who battled a 68-foot wave at Jaws off Maui in December 2004 and Brag Gerlach who also managed a 68-foot wave at Todos Santos in Mexico on December 21, 2005.This video shows Garrett McNamara charging 78-foot wave in Nazaré, Portugal in November 2012.

  

  This video shows Garrett McNamara charging 78-foot wave in Nazaré, Portugal in November 2012.

  These waves are short in duration, but enormous in stature.  We want to send out our congratulation to Garrett.  Surfing that wave and surviving that white-water blasting is one of the most impressive things we’ve seen.