In 2017, Rodrigo Koxa surfed the biggest wave ever surfed at the time that spanned an impressive 80 feet (24.3 meters) in height.
It earned him the Quiksilver XXL Biggest Wave Award by the World Surf League (WSL), as well as recognition and respect from the surfing community.
But Koxa isn’t the only one with big waves on his record and, in this guide, we’ll look at some of the biggest waves surfed in big wave spots around the world.
What Is The Biggest Wave Surfed In Hawaii?
Pete Cabrinha holds the record for the biggest wave ever surfed in Hawaii.
He surfed a wave of 70 feet (21.3 m) back in 2016 at Jaws Beach, Pe’ahi.
On the same day and at the same event, Aaron Gold recorded a wave of 63 feet (19.2 m).
What Is The Biggest Wave At Mavericks?
Mavericks is one of the best big wave spots in the United States.
The waves average over 20 feet here and have been known to go much higher.
Two experienced surfers have lost their lives at Mavericks, so it’s not a destination to be taken lightly.
What Is The Biggest Wave At The Wedge In Newport Beach?
The Wedge is not up there with the likes of Nazaré in terms of sheer scale, but it still throws up some epic waves and these can go as high as 30 feet.
They’re a long way from record breaking, but they’re definitely still challenging.
What Is The Biggest Wave At Nazaré?
Rodrigo Koxa’s world record surf occurred at Praia do Norte in Nazaré, Portugal.
The person he beat, Garrett McNamara, had also set a record there some 6 years earlier.
In fact, 5 of the 6 biggest waves ever surfed have occurred here, including the female world record, which is held by Maya Gabeira.
Maya Gabeira set her record of 73.5 feet (22.4 m) in February 2020.
On the same day, 2 other post-70 feet waves were surfed, including one by Justine Dupont, who won the World Surfing League (WSL) Ride of the Year.
Maya Gabeira had actually surfed a 68 ft (20.7 m) wave back in 2018, so she’s no stranger to monumental challenges.
There have been bigger waves surfed at this location…probably.
The problem is that many of them weren’t verified and others were only partially surfed.
From the perspective of the Guinness World Records, Koxa and Gabeira are the world record holders, and both claimed their records in Portugal.
What Is The Biggest Wave At Waimea Bay?
Waimea Bay is home to the Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational event, and to a lot of challenging waves.
They are not as big as the waves at Nazaré, but they still go as high as 60 feet and surfers flock to the tournament to catch some big surf.
What Is The Biggest Wave At Makaha?
Another popular surf spot in Hawaii, Makaha is said to have been the place where the legendary Greg Noll surfed “the biggest wave in history”.
It was not official and there is no footage of the surf, but it still remained as the “official” record for many years.
What Is The Biggest Wave At Teahupo’o?
Teahupo’o has been called one of the most dangerous waves in the world. It was where Laird Hamilton surfed what became known as the “Millennium Wave”.
The biggest wave, however, is often credited to Nathan Florence, who surfed here back in May 2015.
