Garrett McNamara: the surfer who put Nazaré on the map

23.77 mWorld record in 2011

78 ftIn feet

1 Nov 2011Day of the ride

2010First trip to Nazaré

Their story

Before Garrett McNamara, hardly anyone outside Portugal knew what Praia do Norte could do. A local bodyboarder, Dino Casimiro, had been sending the Hawaiian photos and emails about the waves since 2005. McNamara finally came to see for himself in 2010.

On 1 November 2011 he rode a wave measured at 23.77 metres (78 feet). In May 2012 Guinness World Records confirmed it as the biggest wave ever surfed, and almost overnight Nazaré became the place everyone wanted to see.

He has stayed part of the town's story ever since, and he helps run the Nazaré Big Wave Challenge, watching the swell and deciding when the contest goes ahead.

Best ride

The 2011 world record wave

His 23.77 m world record wave, 1 Nov 2011.

Garrett McNamara

The ocean that day

1 November 2011, offshore of Praia do Norte

3.6 mOffshore swell

15.1 sPeriod

300° WNWDirection (from)

Our formula says: Giant biggest wave about 15.5 m

The real ride 23.8 m Garrett McNamara

Swell from the ERA5 reanalysis (Copernicus / ECMWF) at the hour of the ride. Biggest wave = 1.5 × sets, sets = 2.85 × swell × √(period ÷ 15) on this data scale. How we forecast

More legends

Brazil

Lucas Chianca (Chumbo)

4 wins

The most Nazaré event wins

Brazil

Michelle des Bouillons

Biggest wave

Women's award for her 13 Dec 2025 ride

Portugal

Dino Casimiro

2005

Sent McNamara the photo that started it

Portugal

Joana Andrade

First

First Portuguese woman to ride Nazaré, 2014

See the next one live.

One email when giant waves (10 m+) show up in the models, usually 5 to 7 days ahead.

Alert me when it's big

Photos: Luis Ascenso (header), CC BY 2.0; Humor Multishow (Lucas Chianca), CC BY 3.0; Carlos Eduardo Joos (wave photos 1, 2), CC BY 2.0; Walterpeitz (wave photos 1, 2), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.