Excellent video. Peter Mel once described surfing Cortez as a 'rocket ride to the moon' and based on the environmental conditions that must be present and swell direction needed, coupled with the extreme dangers associated with this break, well, Peter's description is 100% spot on. It is probably a good thing that Cortez is 100 miles off the coast from San Diego making it extremely difficult to reach otherwise many unqualified / incapable surfers would meet their doom attempting to surf one of the most dangerous waves on the planet..
I can't imagine surfing without a land mass. Just the whole concept is eerie and odd. For the most part humans need to see land when surfing. I've dived without land but that's the mindset. I've never surfed without seeing a shoreline. Crazy- nuts!
Just got back from a tuna trip to Cortez. Water was as flat as a bathtub and beautiful. Half the challenge is getting there, 98 miles from LA harbor and 110 from San Diego. Add to that the "weather" necessary to formulate big waves and it can be a rough ride just to get there. Don't know much about surfing Cortez, but it can produce epic Bluefin, Yellowfin and Yellowtail results when the conditions permit.
Growing up in Minnesota, the closest I ever got to the ocean was watching the beach movies with Annette Funicello's and listening to my older sisters Beach Boys records. I grow up fascinated with the way these guys could conquer the waves. I never moved to the beach and I never learned how to surf, but I still find it fascinating. All this to say, watching the surfers conquer the waves of Cortes Banks is like watching my first surfing movie when I was a mere 8 years old.
I cannot say enough about Chris Dixon's book, "Ghost Wave". At once a history lesson and a look forward at what's to come for those who dare surf the Everest of big wave spots, "Ghost Wave" drops you in the middle of the North Pacific and leaves you hanging onto every word. A must-read for surfers and landlubbers alike!
I wish they would do stuff like this for other surf spots as well. Living far away from the ocean, I have always wondered what makes waves break the way they do. This was a very interesting video.
ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Yufb2MgcebM.html There is this, made by an ocean study institution, about the Nazare wave. It's in portuguese, the graphics are cool and maybe somebody will translate it, if there are comments there asking for it. When I get home, I'll see how youtube translations work (and see if I can do it myself).
yeah, they do for other surf spots, but it's really just for the mechanics of the wave. The swell direction/period that is needed for particular spots like Pipeline, Haleiwa. A wave breaks from the underwater topography changing from deep to shallow over a short amount of area
Well. The lower part of the wave gets slowed down as it slides along land/reef. Because of that the upper part overtakes the lower part and the wave breaks. So the land/reef it breaks on shapes the waves. Ontop of that you got wind and the tides that have profound effect but thats about it. Its actually fairly simple.
Absolutely some of the best biggest rock fish anywhere spots/ with surf..fished it and watched it break at about 40 ft.and as a child it permanently gave me Respect for anyone brave enough to surf it!
You guys make me proud for being from Southern California. I used to be impressed by the North Shore where my cousin lives. Then came Jaws in Maui. By that time ,Mavericks was getting notoriety and the competition for the biggest and baddest wave spots was on. I remember my first encounter with big waves in San Diego waters. A huge hurricane off the coast of Baja sent a massive swell. They were 15 to 20 and fast getting bigger. By the time we made the lineup , it was over 30. Never thought it got that big. But that was the beginning of El Nino big wave era. Nazare Portugal was recently discovered and touted as the new 8th wonder of the world, a superdome of giant waves 80 to 100 feet. Well guess what, now comes Cortez Bank to challenge any spot in the world the greatest and biggest waves. It already stands out as the fastest big in the world. By the way, didn't Mike Parsons recently set a record there at 78 feet?
@@godisbollocks Funny that he's a german guy. As a german, i think you have to be extra driven to surf big waves, since germany has knee high slop at best.
Andygra111 - Thanks for the kudos on my book. It's a surreal, scary as hell and fascinating place. I also want to go back more than anywhere on earth I've ever been. --- Chris Dixon
Been gong out to Cortez since 1970 to take divers and fishermen out there. Seen many days of giant surf, but never surfed it. Back in the say I thought I was pretty good, but when you see these waves, you turn chicken fast. Check out Johnson's Lee at Santa Rosa Island sometime.... Amazing!
As fishermen we stayed away from the 'Rock' in the 70s and we just plain didn't go 100 miles out to Cortes Bank with big waves in the weather forecast.
You do realize that surfing the great lakes is a real tangible thing that happens, you may be walking through 3ft of snow or more during the peak of the season, Cold as all hell thats for sure, but basically as stated a land locked ocean. I actually find it awesome, the great lakes get it really good at times, probably more often then we realize unless you live there and know. I personally find it amazing and have high respect of the surfers there coming from the gulf coast where I surf.
That's right, wear a black wetsuit out in the middle of nowhere so you are really difficult to find after you wipe out!! I would think Day Glo Orange would be a preferable colour!! Amazing waves and surfing conditions, props to the brave ones that ride them!!
These "mechanics" type videos of these surf spots are fascinating, but they could be much better. I would love see videos of divers capturing the underwater topography of these spots too, I've searched for these kinds of things on Nazare, Teahupoo, but there's nothing really, that would be really fascinating to see, combined with the detail and narration described in these videos.
It's a miles of motoring in a boat, it would take hours to get there in something that can even make it, and yeah end up in a weird current and your off to French Polynesia, also the sharks here are supposed to be everywhere
I’ve wondered if an old sailing ship coming in towards land ever found themselves surfing down a huge wave in the middle of nowhere. There may be some old shipwrecks down there. Also how shallow does it get ?
I love surfing even though I have a family and can't do it as much as I would like, but gotta be honest. This appeals to me ZERO! I would be so creeped out that it would be impossible to enjoy it..
Maybe on the inland Lakes East of Superior, but I challenge anyone to surf the late Fall early Winter waves of Superior before it freezes over and shipping ceases for the season. Depending on where you try it, and if you are real lucky, they might find your body in late Spring the next year some 200 miles from the location you dared to challenge the Great Lake they call Gitche Gumee. As the song says,"She never gives up her dead when the gales of November come early!"
Yes, but Nazaré has waves over 100 feet and the waves seem mushy but they are also the fastest wave in the world. Even with special 350 hp jet often fail to catch the waves!
I know u surfline guys know your shite,I was wondering about all the currents because its a 100 miles out ,u answered it there s a lot of current going in all directions,I like how u put it though u can't surf a fifty footer with a twenty foot wave coming right at u from the front,hello....is this on.wow.THANKS cool stuff and I'm complaining at 54 I'm having to learn big bowls and pools and to carve I really don't have that much to learn,hah hah hah,later.
I'd be too worried about sea monsters out there. I heard there are Krakan - giant squid with a huge beak. Eat great whites for breakfast....No thanks, I'll stick with my inflatable wading pool....
