Mavericks, a big wave surf location, sits just outside Pillar Point Harbor near Half Moon Bay, California. This spot produces some of the planet’s largest and most dangerous rideable waves. The size of these waves results from massive winter storms in the North Pacific Ocean. During the peak season, typically late fall to early spring, the ocean’s energy aligns with the area’s unique underwater geography to create large swells.
The Geography of Giant Waves
The creation of massive waves at Mavericks depends on the area’s specific bathymetry, which is the underwater topography of the ocean floor. Swells traveling across the deep Pacific first encounter the continental shelf, where a deep submarine canyon funnels the long-period swell energy toward a shallow reef structure.
The reef, sometimes referred to as the “Boneyard,” is a ramp-like formation. As deep-ocean swells hit this ramp, the shallower bottom causes the wave to slow down and compress. This process, known as shoaling and refraction, forces the wave’s energy upward into a steeper, taller, and more powerful breaking wave. The result is a surge of water that erupts into a towering face far offshore.
Defining and Measuring Wave Height
Determining the size of these waves is complicated by the different methods used for measurement. Confusion arises between the “wave face” height and the traditional or “Hawaiian” scale. The wave face is the vertical measurement from the bottom of the trough to the crest of the breaking wave, which is the actual surface a surfer rides.
Surfers and media outlets, such as Surfline, generally report the wave face height, as this represents the true scale of the drop. The traditional Hawaiian scale measures the wave from the back, or the mean sea level, to the crest, which typically results in a number that is roughly half of the wave face measurement. Because of the dynamic nature of the break, real-time scientific measurement can be difficult, leading to variability and subjective estimation in reported sizes.
Record-Breaking Heights at Mavericks
The largest waves documented at Mavericks are consistently in the range of 50 to 60 feet on the wave face during the biggest swell events. Regular winter storms produce waves that routinely crest at over 25 feet, but the largest waves require a large, long-period swell and favorable wind conditions. Major swell events, such as those in 2010 and 2020, featured maximum wave face estimates in the 45-to-55-foot range.
A notable, confirmed ride in 2001 by Carlos Burle was estimated to be 68 feet and earned him a major big wave award. While waves exceeding 60 feet on the face are rare, they are the upper limit of what is considered surfable at this break. More recently, a highly speculative estimate by the Mavericks Rescue Team following a December 2024 swell suggested a wave face height of 108 feet. Such extreme numbers typically lack official validation and are considered outliers. These largest waves are among the biggest surfable waves globally.