Maya Gabeira: women's world record wave at Nazaré

22.4 mWomen's world record

73.5 ftIn feet

11 Feb 2020Day of the ride

2022, 2024Women's wins at the Nazaré contest

Their story

Few surfers have a story with Nazaré like Maya Gabeira's. On 28 October 2013, during a huge storm swell, the Brazilian fell on a giant wave at Praia do Norte and was held under until she lost consciousness. Carlos Burle got her to the beach, where she was revived.

Instead of walking away, she moved to Nazaré to be close to the wave. On 18 January 2018 she rode a 20.72 metre (68 ft) wave there, and Guinness made it the first women's record for the biggest wave surfed. On 11 February 2020 she beat it with 22.4 metres (73.5 ft), which is still the women's world record.

She also won the women's award at the Nazaré tow contest in February 2022 and January 2024. Her fight to get her rides recognised is told in the documentary Maya and the Wave (2022).

Best ride

The 22.4 m women's world record wave

Her 22.4 m women's world record wave, 11 Feb 2020.

World Surf League

The ocean that day

11 February 2020, offshore of Praia do Norte

4.4 mOffshore swell

15.7 sPeriod

313° NWDirection (from)

Our formula says: Giant biggest wave about 19.3 m

The real ride 22.4 m Maya Gabeira

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

Rodrigo Koxa

24.4 m

Former world record, 8 Nov 2017

France

Justine Dupont

4 wins

Nazaré Big Wave Challenge, women's

USA (Hawaii)

Garrett McNamara

23.8 m

The first giant, 1 Nov 2011

Brazil

Lucas Chianca (Chumbo)

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The most Nazaré event wins

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: S Pakhrin (portrait), CC BY 2.0; Carlos Eduardo Joos (header), CC BY 2.0; Fredodo64 (Justine Dupont), CC BY-SA 4.0; Humor Multishow (Lucas Chianca), CC BY 3.0; Walterpeitz (wave photos 1, 2), CC BY-SA 4.0; Luis Ascenso (wave photo), CC BY 2.0; Carlos Eduardo Joos (wave photo), CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.