Monday, January 22, 2018

Nazare : biggest wave ever saw it and the inside driving experience





Past weeks we saw a run of swell that solidify Nazaré as the more often big wave in the world.
As other places need a very big swell to see xxl, Nazare needs a 6 m swell to see 100feet waves.
And that I can tell is true cause I saw with my eyes.
The afternoon of the Wednesday 17 Jan , was for sure the biggest waves I saw in my life.
We went out early and was 20 feet we go back 16 pm and I don’t know .. but I guess was 100 feet.
The waves bellow was the biggest of the next day, 18 th.
The day before was breaking Way outside and top to bottom.
First view of the line up was Alex Botelho getting this huge monster and after switch and get on the drubbing he putted Hugo on the biggest wave I ever saw I surfer.
Nobody has a proper photo of video.
The land shot is dark and nobody thought to get a far angle by the side ( must of every photographer or filmmaker don’t really has an expert sense of the waves and ocean as ya that are inside. But I can tell that the 17th Jan changed my mind of how big this place can be ( just to want to write for myself that I got one too and was a crazy feeling when I was dropping the wave and all the surface got dark . Was sunset time and the mountains behind was covering the ride . Intense feeling)

I had work with João de Macedo for many paddles days on rescue and with Maya a Gabeira in medium tow days preparing for the big swell.

Both are stocked and ready and I am happy to did go a good work placing João at the line up and rescuing him and choosing and rescuing Maya.

I had some days too with French-Brazilian surfer Michelle the bouillons and one day that we went out with Mario Almeida, the manager of edp Mar sem fim project that support Portuguese’s surfers on big waves.
We did rescue st the harbor and went out for a real action at the north canyon.
Michelle got 2 waves and list the board at the third one .
I left her swimming at the line up and went for the board with Mario.
Waves were way smaller than everyday we surged and high tide. I did not anticipated that ( as an experience surfer and pwc driver I put all responsibility on my back. Did even check before go in trusting in my skills. Mistake!).
And 6 to 10 feet shore break on the sand wasn’t giving any space to drive the pwc.
Left Mario close to the beach and when I pass by him on the only single window I had he missed. After that the situation got worse.
I went again and saw we did not have time to position the pwc to hit the white water, as there was not one. So I went further to the sand ( well , on a 10 feet space from the beach to the waves, there wasn’t further. Almost park on it).
That wave did not break so I just jumped the pwc after make sure was front nose to the wave . Turn off to not eat the sand and destroy the propeller. Said to Mario run away and saw this shore break in the pwc breaking and sending couples feet’s more on the sand.
Now the thing was serious. Normally I know inside is thought but after I went so many times for so many years I feel a little rush but confortable.
This time I was eyes wide open knowing I will need all my skills and I little lucky to get out from there.
The danse started..
Feet on sand, fingers on turn ON bottom and acceleration...
Shore break hit the sand.. push water under the jet. Check next wave, turn On, turn off ..
And did that 5 times as the current was starting to push us to the rocks when waves were filling the sand and sucking back ..
My concern was have that little window to have enough time to turn on the pwc after have water under and not such sand..
Enough one to jump, accelerate and hit the next wave..
Problem was we only have 10 feet space from sand to wave  and must of the waves weren’t breaking. so I could not find a proper hit on a white water and hit a wall (stading wave),


 is almost a no go ( this happen before years ago with my friend Alex Botelho and that time I had not choice as make a duck dive with the pwc. Scary time so I didn’t want to do it again).
Saw a set a bit bigger and said to Mario get ready.
If we had 2 solid 10 feet ones , we had a chance. Cause one could fill up the sand the the next one could break a bit further but I will hit a strong white water and not a wall.
In question of seconds that happened..
We both jump on the pwc when water filled up. Turn On and accelerate .
Second one was just breaking and I new the impact will be strong.
We hit the thing and my both legs was out of the pwc . I keep it the hands and when we landed this next shore break was way bigger.  At my right I saw a little back walsh wave and  got the 2/3 sec to turn the pwc that way ( 15/20 feet away and only chance).
Used as a ramp, fly and hit the top of the wave. The speed, with the weight of us and the pwc made us and soft impact this time.. In a couples secs we were outside, picking up Michelle .
Mario with the adrenaline high on his vain saying that was an intense first time.
I just wanted to put pwc our and safe as my good friend Joao de Macedo just bought after years getting pounded without rescue..
Stocked in the plane from Lisboa to Coruña to see my kids.
Miss them a lot and already feeling the big hug and kisses in a couples minutes..


Past weeks we saw a run of swell that solidify Nazaré as the more often big wave in the world.
As other places need a very big swell to see xxl, Nazare needs a 6 m swell to see 100feet waves.
And that I can tell is true cause I saw with my eyes.
The afternoon of the Wednesday 17 Jan , was for sure the biggest waves I saw in my life.
We went out early and was 20 feet we go back 16 pm and I don’t know .. but I guess was 100 feet.
The waves bellow was the biggest of the next day, 18 th.
The day before was breaking Way outside and top to bottom.
First view of the line up was Alex Botelho getting this huge monster and after switch and get on the drubbing he putted Hugo on the biggest wave I ever saw I surfer.
Nobody has a proper photo of video.
The land shot is dark and nobody thought to get a far angle by the side ( must of every photographer or filmmaker don’t really has an expert sense of the waves and ocean as ya that are inside. But I can tell that the 17th Jan changed my mind of how big this place can be ( just to want to write for myself that I got one too and was a crazy feeling when I was dropping the wave and all the surface got dark . Was sunset time and the mountains behind was covering the ride . Intense feeling)

I had work with João de Macedo for many paddles days on rescue and with Maya a Gabeira in medium tow days preparing for the big swell.

Both are stocked and ready and I am happy to did go a good work placing João at the line up and rescuing him and choosing and rescuing Maya.

I had some days too with French-Brazilian surfer Michelle the bouillons and one day that we went out with Mario Almeida, the manager of edp Mar sem fim project that support Portuguese’s surfers on big waves.
We did rescue st the harbor and went out for a real action at the north canyon.
Michelle got 2 waves and list the board at the third one .
I left her swimming at the line up and went for the board with Mario.
Waves were way smaller than everyday we surged and high tide. I did not anticipated that ( as an experience surfer and pwc driver I put all responsibility on my back. Did even check before go in trusting in my skills. Mistake!).
And 6 to 10 feet shore break on the sand wasn’t giving any space to drive the pwc.
Left Mario close to the beach and when I pass by him on the only single window I had he missed. After that the situation got worse.
I went again and saw we did not have time to position the pwc to hit the white water, as there was not one. So I went further to the sand ( well , on a 10 feet space from the beach to the waves, there wasn’t further. Almost park on it).
That wave did not break so I just jumped the pwc after make sure was front nose to the wave . Turn off to not eat the sand and destroy the propeller. Said to Mario run away and saw this shore break in the pwc breaking and sending couples feet’s more on the sand.
Now the thing was serious. Normally I know inside is thought but after I went so many times for so many years I feel a little rush but confortable.
This time I was eyes wide open knowing I will need all my skills and I little lucky to get out from there.
The danse started..
Feet on sand, fingers on turn ON bottom and acceleration...
Shore break hit the sand.. push water under the jet. Check next wave, turn On, turn off ..
And did that 5 times as the current was starting to push us to the rocks when waves were filling the sand and sucking back ..
My concern was have that little window to have enough time to turn on the pwc after have water under and not such sand..
Enough one to jump, accelerate and hit the next wave..
Problem was we only have 10 feet space from sand to wave and must of the waves weren’t breaking, so I found my hit a white water and hit a wall is almost a no go ( this happen before years ago with my friend Alex Botelho and that time I had not choice as make a duck dive with the pwc. Scary time so I didn’t want to do it again).
Saw a set a bit bigger and said to Mario get ready.
If we had 2 solid 10 feet ones , we had a chance. Cause one could fill up the sand the the next one could break a bit further but I will hit a strong white water and not a wall.
In question of seconds that happened..
We both jump on the pwc when water filled up. Turn On and accelerate .
Second one was just breaking and I new the impact will be strong.
We hit the thing and my both legs was out of the pwc . I keep it the hands and when we landed this next shore break was way bigger.  At my right I saw a little back walsh wave and  got the 2/3 sec to turn the pwc that way ( 15/20 feet away and only chance).
Used as a ramp, fly and hit the top of the wave. The speed, with the weight of us and the pwc made us and soft impact this time.. In a couples secs we were outside, picking up Michelle .
Mario with the adrenaline high on his vain saying that was an intense first time.
I just wanted to put pwc our and safe as my good friend Joao de Macedo just bought after years getting pounded without rescue..
Stocked in the plane from Lisboa to Coruña to see my kids.
Miss them a lot and already feeling the big hug and kisses in a couples minutes..








Maya Gabeira link for website Ö Globo¨ :   https://globoesporte.globo.com/radicais/surfe/noticia/em-nazare-maya-gabeira-surfa-onda-gigante-que-pode-entrar-para-o-guinness.ghtml