The largest waves in the world are the dramatic result of powerful ocean storms combining with highly specific underwater geography. These colossal mountains of water, generated by wind-driven ocean swell, are meticulously tracked by scientists and surfers alike. Only certain rare locations possess the unique combination of factors required to transform a large swell into a truly record-breaking giant.
The Geography and Physics of Giant Wave Formation
The size of the initial ocean swell is determined by three factors: wind speed, the duration of the wind, and the “fetch.” Fetch is the uninterrupted distance over which the wind blows across the water’s surface, transferring energy into the water to create deep-water swells. Once generated, this swell travels thousands of miles across entire ocean basins without losing much energy.
The dramatic increase in wave height occurs as the swell approaches the shore and interacts with the underwater topography, known as bathymetry. When the deep-water wave energy encounters a rapidly shallowing seafloor, the base of the wave slows down due to friction. Since the wave crest continues to move at its original speed, the wave energy is compressed, causing the wave to rapidly increase in height in a process called shoaling.
A deep-sea canyon positioned near the coastline is the ultimate accelerator for wave size. These enormous underwater trenches, like the Nazaré Canyon, remain thousands of meters deep while the surrounding seafloor rises toward the coast. The canyon allows one portion of the swell to maintain its high speed and energy, while the swell on either side slows down. This speed differential causes wave refraction and a focusing effect, dramatically amplifying the wave height just before it breaks.
The World’s Most Famous Big Wave Hotspots
The combination of massive ocean fetch and specialized bathymetry creates the world’s premier big wave hotspots. Praia do Norte in Nazaré, Portugal, is recognized as the capital of big wave surfing, consistently producing the largest surfable waves on Earth. The key feature is the Nazaré Canyon, which funnels and amplifies Atlantic swells to immense heights. The largest wave ever surfed and verified by Guinness World Records was an 86-foot (26.2-meter) wave ridden here by Sebastian Steudtner in 2020.
On the Pacific side, several spots are famous for their unique challenges:
- Mavericks in California: Located near Half Moon Bay, this spot is shaped by a submerged reef that causes Pacific swells to rise into powerful, cold-water waves.
- Jaws (Peʻahi) in Maui, Hawaii: Known for its immense power and speed, the deep Pacific swell hits a sudden, shallow shelf, creating fast-moving waves that often reach between 30 and 60 feet.
- Cortes Bank: A submerged island 100 miles off the California coast, which has produced waves over 70 feet.
- Teahupoʻo in Tahiti: Famous for its thick, hollow barrels breaking over a shallow reef.
Extreme Waves Beyond Ocean Swell
While wind and bathymetry are responsible for the largest surfable waves, other natural phenomena generate waves that are physically far larger. Tsunamis, often mistakenly called tidal waves, are generated not by wind but by the sudden displacement of a massive volume of water, typically from an underwater earthquake, landslide, or volcanic eruption. In the deep ocean, tsunamis travel at jet-like speeds, sometimes over 700 kilometers per hour, but their height is often only a few feet because their wavelength can be hundreds of kilometers long.
The destructive power of a tsunami is realized when it reaches shallow coastal water, where its enormous wavelength compresses, and the entire water column from the seafloor to the surface is pushed inland. The most powerful wave ever recorded was a megatsunami in Lituya Bay, Alaska, in 1958, which reached a staggering run-up height of 1,720 feet after a massive landslide plunged into the bay.
In contrast, a tidal bore is a wave created by the incoming high tide surging up a constricted river channel, with the Qiantang River in China producing one of the largest and fastest examples. These phenomena are distinct from storm-generated ocean swells because their formation is dictated by geological forces or gravitational pull rather than surface wind patterns.