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Surf: monster waves in Portugal
› Travel Tips › Surf: monster waves in Portugal
News came in this morning that a man successfully rode a wave that was 30m high, a world record! Garrett McNamara found the wave of his life off the coast of Portugal in a region where giant waves are nothing out of the ordinary.
Monster ride
The Hawaiian rider caught this giant wave on Monday just off the coast of a small fishing village called Nazaré in Portugal. The area is known for its colossal waves caused by underwater canyons running up the length of the shoreline which intensify the already large swells. The Praia do Norte is known around the world by surfers for having some of the biggest and best surfing.
It takes more than just an ordinary surfer to tackle big water like this. Garrett, 45, considers himself more than just a surfer. He's an "extreme waterman explorer" competing in surfing championships and riding tidal waves in Alaska cause by calving glaciers. He'll be the first to volunteer for anything daring that includes a surf board.
While the wave height hasn't been confirmed yet, many say he is probably going to make it into the record books for this one, breaking his previous record for riding a wave 23.77 metres high (video above).
Surfing the Praia do Norte
Praia do Norte has some of the highest waves in Europe, making it very popular for experienced surfers. Even on a bad day, waves are at least 4m high. It's also a favourite spot for bodyboarders. In the summer, the town of Nazaré is full of sun-seekers and beach bums on holidays in Portugal. Did we mention that the beaches here are also amazing? The best time of the year to catch the biggest swells however is in winter.
Love to surf? Check out Fiji: surfers, meet your nirvana.
Imgs: aarmono, kyletaylor / Flickr cc.
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