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Giant Waves for Surfers

Terry Callery

Chi Walker
I often listen to National Public Radio (NPR) - and just tonight they did an expose on the town of Matosinhos which is directly on the Portuguese Coastal Route just about 8-9 kilometers north of Porto.

Apparently there is a massive ocean canyon offshore - twice the depth of the Grand Canyon (USA).

This geographical feature is the cause on giant waves - sometimes 40-60 feet high.

In order to promote the place, a local man who does body surfing spread the word world-wide about the giant waves there.
A famous big-wave surfer from Hawaii was interviewed on NPR about going there in search of the elusive 100 foot wave.

He said he rode a wave there 70 feet high - it is very dangerous and these guys do breathing exercises - if you wipe out you can be pushed underwater for 40-50 seconds by the massive waves. They have jet skis to support them when they surf.

There is a surfing school in town. Apparently accomplished surfers from California and Australia have found it to be a Mecca for them.

I wonder if any pilgrims walking the Portuguese Coastal Route have seen any of these crazy men? and if any one lingered there to watch the waves which are some of the biggest in the world?
 
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The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
I wonder if any pilgrims walking the Portuguese Coastal Route have seen any of these crazy men? and if any one lingered there to watch the waves which are some of the biggest in the world?
And I might add ... women, too.

Nazare's pretty well known now, and the surf there is epic. It's an amazing place. There were a couple of discussions about it here a while back - enjoy!
And
 
I wonder if any pilgrims walking the Portuguese Coastal Route have seen any of these crazy men? and if any one lingered there to watch the waves which are some of the biggest in the world?

CURRENT SURF REPORT FOR NAZARÉ: 1.5-2.3m

There are also webcams.

This reminds me of being taken to a spot on one of the Hawaiian islands that is said to have some of the biggest waves in the world. The sea was nearly as flat as pancake on the day that we were at that beach.
 
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The sea was nearly as flat as pancake on the day that we were at that beach.
Winter waves don't come in the summer, and are unpredictable even in the winter. I grew up thinking surf reports on the radio were totally normal — as were predictable defections to the beach if the surf was up. Amazing how a few kids in school would always have colds in the wintertime when the surf was up - bad enough to keep them out of their classes. Everybody knows that the best thing for a cold is a good swim in the ocean...
🤣
 
Winter waves don't come in the summer, and are unpredictable even in the winter. I grew up thinking surf reports on the radio were totally normal — as were predictable defections to the beach if the surf was up. Amazing how a few kids in school would always have colds in the wintertime when the surf was up - bad enough to keep them out of their classes. Everybody knows that the best thing for a cold is a good swim in the ocean...
🤣
When I first moved to Southern California as an 18 year old I was surprised that parties broke up so early. As a northern California girl I was used to parties lasting until around 3 am. I quickly learned that the surfers that I was partying with needed to get to bed early so that they could get up early to surf before school or work.
 
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Pretty amazing, what people can do.
 
Hi all!

My daughter surfs she had told me about the giant waves and i listened to the video above ;she had played a similar one because i remember it was about the 25 metre gap in the rocks being the surfers escape route and jet skis!
I will pass Matisinhos on the way (well i'm booked in here for my first night out from Porto i will ask if surfs up and if it is how big;then point and click for some memories)

They are nuts; and a breed apart i suppose like all extreme sport junkies.

It's also the lengths they go to to ride waves. My daughter travelled to Sri Lanka and then heard of great surf in the Philippines. So of she went; i cant remember the exact flight length ( you can get shorter and direct but she wanted cheap) but about a 10 hour flight to Hong Kong then another eight to ten hours to Cebu island in the Philippines cheapest option as had very little money. Then followed a 13 hour ferry crossing to the main Siargao island and finally another 3 and a half to the smaller Siargao island for the surf loved it ;ran out of money and ended up running a backpackers. hostel.
Relied on the bank of dad to get her home;she left Siargao 6 am on a Tuesday arrived back in the UK 8am Friday travelling the whole time slept in airports.
But i suppose having a passion for something is good for the soul; i had talked both my kids into us three doing a three week+ campervan tour of Japan all the usual reasons encouraged them;adventure,culture,people,landscape and food. But they new even though all those thing are great; i was timing the trip so i could go to "Moto GP in Motegi" well i will one day i've promised myself that !!!
Woody
 
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I tried to post some video clips from You Tube but was unsuccessful. Look at You Tube and search for Belharra Surf videos.
 
I often listen to National Public Radio (NPR) - and just tonight they did an expose on the town of Matosinhos which is directly on the Portuguese Coastal Route just about 8-9 kilometers north of Porto.

Apparently there is a massive ocean canyon offshore - twice the depth of the Grand Canyon (USA).

This geographical feature is the cause on giant waves - sometimes 40-60 feet high.

In order to promote the place, a local man who does body surfing spread the word world-wide about the giant waves there.
A famous big-wave surfer from Hawaii was interviewed on NPR about going there in search of the elusive 100 foot wave.

He said he rode a wave there 70 feet high - it is very dangerous and these guys do breathing exercises - if you wipe out you can be pushed underwater for 40-50 seconds by the massive waves. They have jet skis to support them when they surf.

There is a surfing school in town. Apparently accomplished surfers from California and Australia have found it to be a Mecca for them.

I wonder if any pilgrims walking the Portuguese Coastal Route have seen any of these crazy men? and if any one lingered there to watch the waves which are some of the biggest in the world?
I visited Nazare last Christmas 2020 .., very impressive waves ! 2days after I left they were expecting giant waves and International teams of surfers and TV broadcasting crews were arriving at the spot!
 
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Watch the 2004 documentary, Riding Giants, featuring Laird Hamilton (probably one of the best big wave riders of all time), Jeff Clark (featured in Trecile's post above) and several other big wave chasers. Also a great history of the sport of surfing and how towing riders into the big waves changed the sport forever. Nazare' is famous for the huge break between two undersea mountains, but there are spots on the N. Shore of Oahu where the combo of wind, storm surge and power of the Pacific create monster waves each winter. Lots of construction workers call in sick every time we have a big storm coming in at Kona. Developer friends say it's a cost of doing business and just carry on. Aloha.
 
Watch the 2004 documentary, Riding Giants, featuring Laird Hamilton (probably one of the best big wave riders of all time), Jeff Clark (featured in Trecile's post above) and several other big wave chasers. Also a great history of the sport of surfing and how towing riders into the big waves changed the sport forever. Nazare' is famous for the huge break between two undersea mountains, but there are spots on the N. Shore of Oahu where the combo of wind, storm surge and power of the Pacific create monster waves each winter. Lots of construction workers call in sick every time we have a big storm coming in at Kona. Developer friends say it's a cost of doing business and just carry on. Aloha.
Once I had 2 cats.. one was Kelly and the second one was Slater!! My children are surfers for ever !
 
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
If anyone wants to learn more about big waves and the people who surf them, I suggest Susan Casey's book "The Wave: In Pursuit of the Rogues, Freaks, and Giants of the Ocean." It is amazing.
Thanks! Actually my son who isa good surfer said’ Great Mum! I see that your gang of oldies walkers are also interested in surf! For you to know!!
 
"Riding Giants" is a must see IMO. Along with "Dogtown and the Z-Boys" for skateboarding and "Touching the Void" for mountain climbing.
 
And I might add ... women, too.

Nazare's pretty well known now, and the surf there is epic. It's an amazing place. There were a couple of discussions about it here a while back - enjoy!
And
I also saw a recent article and video where a woman set the world record giant wave ride just recently. But I am a bit confused. Nazare is due west of Fatima just north of Lisbon with lots of big wave information surrounding it. Matosinhos is just north of Porto. I am hoping to walk the Porto route next September and was disappointed I would not see the big waves referred to at Nazare. I couldn't find anything about big wave surfing at Matosinhos but pictures of what looks like good regular wave surfing. Is there big wave at Matosinhos also and if so does anyone know what time of year? Oh and be gentle I confuse easily. o_O
 
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€83,-
I often listen to National Public Radio (NPR) - and just tonight they did an expose on the town of Matosinhos which is directly on the Portuguese Coastal Route just about 8-9 kilometers north of Porto.

Apparently there is a massive ocean canyon offshore - twice the depth of the Grand Canyon (USA).

This geographical feature is the cause on giant waves - sometimes 40-60 feet high.

In order to promote the place, a local man who does body surfing spread the word world-wide about the giant waves there.
A famous big-wave surfer from Hawaii was interviewed on NPR about going there in search of the elusive 100 foot wave.

He said he rode a wave there 70 feet high - it is very dangerous and these guys do breathing exercises - if you wipe out you can be pushed underwater for 40-50 seconds by the massive waves. They have jet skis to support them when they surf.

There is a surfing school in town. Apparently accomplished surfers from California and Australia have found it to be a Mecca for them.

I wonder if any pilgrims walking the Portuguese Coastal Route have seen any of these crazy men? and if any one lingered there to watch the waves which are some of the biggest in the world?
Thanks, Terry, for bringing a few new threads with new focuses recently to the forum...still camino related in their own way.
 
I often listen to National Public Radio (NPR) - and just tonight they did an expose on the town of Matosinhos which is directly on the Portuguese Coastal Route just about 8-9 kilometers north of Porto.

Apparently there is a massive ocean canyon offshore - twice the depth of the Grand Canyon (USA).

This geographical feature is the cause on giant waves - sometimes 40-60 feet high.

In order to promote the place, a local man who does body surfing spread the word world-wide about the giant waves there.
A famous big-wave surfer from Hawaii was interviewed on NPR about going there in search of the elusive 100 foot wave.

He said he rode a wave there 70 feet high - it is very dangerous and these guys do breathing exercises - if you wipe out you can be pushed underwater for 40-50 seconds by the massive waves. They have jet skis to support them when they surf.

There is a surfing school in town. Apparently accomplished surfers from California and Australia have found it to be a Mecca for them.

I wonder if any pilgrims walking the Portuguese Coastal Route have seen any of these crazy men? and if any one lingered there to watch the waves which are some of the biggest in the world?
Hi All
Think there is some confusion here - Matosinhos and Nazare are several hours drive apart........but both great places with surf.
 
I often listen to National Public Radio (NPR) - and just tonight they did an expose on the town of Matosinhos which is directly on the Portuguese Coastal Route just about 8-9 kilometers north of Porto.

Apparently there is a massive ocean canyon offshore - twice the depth of the Grand Canyon (USA).

This geographical feature is the cause on giant waves - sometimes 40-60 feet high.

In order to promote the place, a local man who does body surfing spread the word world-wide about the giant waves there.
A famous big-wave surfer from Hawaii was interviewed on NPR about going there in search of the elusive 100 foot wave.

He said he rode a wave there 70 feet high - it is very dangerous and these guys do breathing exercises - if you wipe out you can be pushed underwater for 40-50 seconds by the massive waves. They have jet skis to support them when they surf.

There is a surfing school in town. Apparently accomplished surfers from California and Australia have found it to be a Mecca for them.

I wonder if any pilgrims walking the Portuguese Coastal Route have seen any of these crazy men? and if any one lingered there to watch the waves which are some of the biggest in the world?
You have to be careful of the beaches on the southern Portuguese coast from Lisbon to Lagos. The beaches are often in narrow inlets with powerful rips along the edges, Definitely board surfing only.
 
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I often listen to National Public Radio (NPR) - and just tonight they did an expose on the town of Matosinhos which is directly on the Portuguese Coastal Route just about 8-9 kilometers north of Porto.

Apparently there is a massive ocean canyon offshore - twice the depth of the Grand Canyon (USA).

This geographical feature is the cause on giant waves - sometimes 40-60 feet high.

In order to promote the place, a local man who does body surfing spread the word world-wide about the giant waves there.
A famous big-wave surfer from Hawaii was interviewed on NPR about going there in search of the elusive 100 foot wave.

He said he rode a wave there 70 feet high - it is very dangerous and these guys do breathing exercises - if you wipe out you can be pushed underwater for 40-50 seconds by the massive waves. They have jet skis to support them when they surf.

There is a surfing school in town. Apparently accomplished surfers from California and Australia have found it to be a Mecca for them.

I wonder if any pilgrims walking the Portuguese Coastal Route have seen any of these crazy men? and if any one lingered there to watch the waves which are some of the biggest in the world?
After I walked the Camino I took the train down from Santiago to Porto and on to Lisbon. At times the train runs close to the ocean and I can attest, those are some huge waves. Certainly the biggest I've ever seen and I live on the east coast of USA.
 
Hi All
Think there is some confusion here - Matosinhos and Nazare are several hours drive apart........but both great places with surf.
The NPR piece only mentioned Matosinhos --and they only interview a couple of very serious male surfers from Hawaii. It was just a four minute piece.

Also, not my intention to imply that there are also no crazy women taking on the risk. But the radio didn't mention women surfers.

I suspect that both places have these deep canyons just offshore causing the big waves.

I walked the central route, since it was in February-- and I had learned that more of the coastal route hotels would be closed in their off season. But the surfing thing was totally news to me. Never heard about until the other night on the radio.

If your lucky you learn something new every day.
 
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Not saying others are wrong, but this is the Matosinhos beach
I suspect that both places have these deep canyons just offshore causing the big waves.
Google maps provides an answer to this one: nope. The Southernmost yellow dot is Nazare, the other one, near Porto, is Matosinhos. That canyon stands out like a sore thumb. No doubt Matosinhos gets regular storm surf off the Atlantic, but the huge waves created by that canyon near Nazare are unique.20201017_101626.jpg
 
I have sail a Cape Dory 19 in Maine for many years - we have really big tides - like 10-12 feet (Compared to say Florida with a 2 foot tide). The waves were in constant flux. Some times "totally calm ocean like a lake" and other times violent waves that I would never take my boat out into. Hurricane season.

It is like the book/movie the Perfect Storm. When moon, wind velocity and direction and currents and barometer pressure all align - the waves can be enormous. That's what these surfers are looking for. Many are casual meteorologist.

They are searching for the elusive perfect conditions.

Went I was a student at Yale, I remember visiting collage friends at Cornell University who had an off-campus house on Lake Cayuga there.
They love to take their sail boat out (with ample supply of beer) right before a big storm in 35 mile per hour winds that just rocketed their sail boat across the water. Didn't happen that often.

Seeing the Google map now makes sense--- the canyon extends for many mile along the western coastline line. It is an enormous geographic feature.
 
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I often listen to National Public Radio (NPR) - and just tonight they did an expose on the town of Matosinhos which is directly on the Portuguese Coastal Route just about 8-9 kilometers north of Porto.

Apparently there is a massive ocean canyon offshore - twice the depth of the Grand Canyon (USA).

This geographical feature is the cause on giant waves - sometimes 40-60 feet high.

In order to promote the place, a local man who does body surfing spread the word world-wide about the giant waves there.
A famous big-wave surfer from Hawaii was interviewed on NPR about going there in search of the elusive 100 foot wave.

He said he rode a wave there 70 feet high - it is very dangerous and these guys do breathing exercises - if you wipe out you can be pushed underwater for 40-50 seconds by the massive waves. They have jet skis to support them when they surf.

There is a surfing school in town. Apparently accomplished surfers from California and Australia have found it to be a Mecca for them.

I wonder if any pilgrims walking the Portuguese Coastal Route have seen any of these crazy men? and if any one lingered there to watch the waves

I often listen to National Public Radio (NPR) - and just tonight they did an expose on the town of Matosinhos which is directly on the Portuguese Coastal Route just about 8-9 kilometers north of Porto.

Apparently there is a massive ocean canyon offshore - twice the depth of the Grand Canyon (USA).

This geographical feature is the cause on giant waves - sometimes 40-60 feet high.

In order to promote the place, a local man who does body surfing spread the word world-wide about the giant waves there.
A famous big-wave surfer from Hawaii was interviewed on NPR about going there in search of the elusive 100 foot wave.

He said he rode a wave there 70 feet high - it is very dangerous and these guys do breathing exercises - if you wipe out you can be pushed underwater for 40-50 seconds by the massive waves. They have jet skis to support them when they surf.

There is a surfing school in town. Apparently accomplished surfers from California and Australia have found it to be a Mecca for them.

I wonder if any pilgrims walking the Portuguese Coastal Route have seen any of these crazy men? and if any one lingered there to watch the waves which are some of the biggest in the world?
Nazare is about 100 k north of Lisbon
So not on the coastal route from Porto
The waves are giant size especially in winter!
Check out YouTube
 
I often listen to National Public Radio (NPR) - and just tonight they did an expose on the town of Matosinhos which is directly on the Portuguese Coastal Route just about 8-9 kilometers north of Porto.

Apparently there is a massive ocean canyon offshore - twice the depth of the Grand Canyon (USA).

This geographical feature is the cause on giant waves - sometimes 40-60 feet high.

In order to promote the place, a local man who does body surfing spread the word world-wide about the giant waves there.
A famous big-wave surfer from Hawaii was interviewed on NPR about going there in search of the elusive 100 foot wave.

He said he rode a wave there 70 feet high - it is very dangerous and these guys do breathing exercises - if you wipe out you can be pushed underwater for 40-50 seconds by the massive waves. They have jet skis to support them when they surf.

There is a surfing school in town. Apparently accomplished surfers from California and Australia have found it to be a Mecca for them.

I wonder if any pilgrims walking the Portuguese Coastal Route have seen any of these crazy men? and if any one lingered there to watch the waves which are some of the biggest in the world?
Here is part of a thread I just posted in miscellaneous, but as it relates so strongly to your post I've put some of it here.

For those of us who are stuck in a world of restrictions of freedom of movement and feeling a bit frustrated with how the scenarios are panning out, this film may serve as an inspiration for our next adventure, big or small, whether on the sea or on the land.
It's a documentary type film that gives us a window into the lives of six people whose lives are strongly connected to the sea and we see it's transformative effects on their lives and those around them.
Enjoy and stay healthy and happy.
 
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Nazare is about 100 k north of Lisbon
So not on the coastal route from Porto
I never mentioned Nazare in my post - others did.

My Brierly guide book Camino Portuguese has Matosinhos just out of Porto on Stage 14 of the Portuguese Camino. Directly on the Coastal Route. Map on page 115. North of Porto-- like I said in my post. He gives 6 km to Foz do Douro then 6.1 km to Ponte which is a 15 minute walk from Matosinhos - his route dots go right through the place.

The NPR story never mentioned Nazare - so I didn't either. They mentioned Matoshinos.
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
I never mentioned Nazare in my post - others did.

My Brierly guide book Camino Portuguese has Matosinhos just out of Porto on Stage 14 of the Portuguese Camino. Directly on the Coastal Route. Map on page 115. North of Porto-- like I said in my post. He gives 6 km to Foz do Douro then 6.1 km to Ponte which is a 15 minute walk from Matosinhos - his route dots go right through the place.

The NPR story never mentioned Nazare - so I didn't either.
I never mentioned Nazare in my post - others did.

My Brierly guide book Camino Portuguese has Matosinhos just out of Porto on Stage 14 of the Portuguese Camino. Directly on the Coastal Route. Map on page 115. North of Porto-- like I said in my post. He gives 6 km to Foz do Douro then 6.1 km to Ponte which is a 15 minute walk from Matosinhos - his route dots go right through the place.

The NPR story never mentioned Nazare - so I didn't either. They mentioned Matoshinos.
Hey Terry I think maybe the NPR story was not quite accurate! Yes there is a surfing school at Matosinhos and there is a good wave to be ridden there. But the conditions that you describe ie giant waves and the deep canyon are at Nazare . Perhaps that is why other mentioned Nazare as well You can YouTube both places and check out the truly magnificent waves Regards Roger
 
Hey Terry I think maybe the NPR story was not quite accurate! Yes there is a surfing school at Matosinhos and there is a good wave to be ridden there. But the conditions that you describe ie giant waves and the deep canyon are at Nazare . Perhaps that is why other mentioned Nazare as well You can YouTube both places and check out the truly magnificent waves Regards Roger
I knew that there was one place in Portugal with giant waves for surfers but I would have been hard pressed to pinpoint it on a map, namely Nazaré.

Apparently, Nazaré's world-wide fame is quite recent. From a Guardian article from August 2020, Riding the giant: big wave surfing in Nazaré: Nazaré, specifically Praia do Norte or North Beach, is home to the biggest surfable waves on the planet. Ten years ago, it was unknown even in big-wave circles, but that changed when Garrett McNamara, a 52-year-old Hawaiian who is one of the pioneers of the sport, was given a tip-off by local bodyboarders. He came to Portugal for the first time in 2010; the following year, he rode a monstrous wave measured at 23.77m (78ft) and entered the Guinness World Records.

But I've known since about 1988, that surfers go to Tarifa ☺️. It's on Spain's Costa de la Luz. But I wouldn't even know what kind of surfing is done there and how high the waves are. I think it was THE spot in the 1980's.
 
Riding the giant: big wave surfing in Nazaré: Nazaré, specifically Praia do Norte or North Beach, is home to the biggest surfable waves on the planet. Ten years ago, it was unknown even in big-wave circles, but that changed when Garrett McNamara, a 52-year-old Hawaiian who is one of the pioneers of the sport, was given a tip-off by local bodyboarders. He came to Portugal for the first time in 2010
Actually an interesting story. Nazaré may be not on a Camino but it, too, was largely unknown to the world not so long ago and now it is known world-wide. It had about as many visitors (not body surfers) as the Camino had walkers in 2019 ... 335,000 ... and with so many visitors coming to an amazing place there are changes coming to it, too ... some good and some bad.

And is the jet ski assisted tow-in transport of the surfer the equivalent to the mochila transport of the camino pilgrim? 😉
 
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