Best Big Wave Spots in the World

Belharra is France's premier big wave—a deepwater reef 2.5 kilometers offshore from Saint-Jean-de-Luz that only wakes up during the most massive North Atlantic storms. The wave...

Mullaghmore Head is Ireland's premier big wave slab—a terrifying left that combines Teahupo'o's thick lip with Shipstern's mutant steps to create one of Europe's most challenging...

Nazaré is where surfing's largest waves are ridden—a Portuguese beach break that produces mountainous surf thanks to the Nazaré Canyon, an underwater trench that amplifies...

Aileens is Ireland's most dramatic big wave—a right-hand reef break that detonates beneath the famous 700-foot Cliffs of Moher on Ireland's west coast. The setting is almost...

Riley's is the proving ground for Ireland's big wave chargers—a shallow, heavy slab that serves as training for the more serious Aileens nearby. The wave breaks over a dangerously...

The Cribbar is England's answer to big wave surfing--a monstrous reef that lurks off Towan Head in Newquay, only awakening when massive Atlantic storms send long-period...

Brimms Ness Bowl is one of Scotland's most fearsome waves--a thick, grinding slab that detonates over shallow reef on the remote Caithness coastline.

Bagpipes is the kind of wave that separates the serious from the curious--a heavy slab that detonates on a shallow reef shelf along the remote Caithness coast.

Dalbeg Slab lurks in a secluded cove on Lewis' west coast--a left-hand slab that fires during winter storms.

Murkle is a fickle but fearsome left-hand slab near Thurso that wraps around the point and produces thick, pitching barrels.

Gills Bay Slab is one of Europe's heaviest waves--a monstrous left-hand slab that only comes alive during the most violent winter storms.

The Zorba is the Cribbar's lesser-known but equally fearsome sibling--a big wave reef off Pentire headland.

Cayton Point is Yorkshire's most feared wave--a heavy, multi-lipped left that breaks directly onto shallow boulder reef.

Punta Galea is where the Basque Country's big wave pedigree reveals itself in full fury—a clifftop amphitheater overlooking some of the most powerful surf in Europe. When the Bay...

El Colegio ("The School") is the heaviest wave in the Iquique slab complex - a thick left that breaks over a shallow reef. The name is ironic, as this wave provides harsh lessons...

Pico Alto is Peru's premier big wave—a deepwater reef 1.5km offshore from Punta Hermosa that produces some of South America's largest rideable waves. The unique geography means...

El Buey ("The Bull") is a tow-in big wave reef near El Gringo that comes alive when massive SW swells hit Arica. The wave can produce 40-foot faces, making it one of South...

Intendencia is a wedging slab in the Iquique heavy wave zone, producing thick, hollow lefts when SW swells wrap into the bay. A step up from beginner waves but not quite as heavy...

Punta Dos ("Point Two") is another heavy slab in the Iquique complex, delivering thick barrels over a shallow reef. Part of the world-class concentration of slabs in this northern...

Roca Cuadrada ("Square Rock") is a big wave left reef near Matanzas that comes alive on massive SW swells. Named for a distinctive square-shaped rock, the wave can produce 30-foot...

Laje de Jaguaruna is Brazil's answer to Nazaré, a massive offshore slab that produces some of the biggest waves in the Southern Hemisphere when giant Antarctic swells march up the...

Ilha dos Lobos is Brazil's most powerful wave, a Teahupoo-style slab that detonates over a shallow rock shelf near Torres in Rio Grande do Sul. The wave is named after the sea...

Laje do Shock is one of the most dangerous waves in Brazil, a shallow slab near Itacoatiara that breaks over just 3 feet of water. The wave only works on large SW swells and...

The Box is one of the most feared waves on Earth—a mutant right-hand slab that produces square-shaped barrels of terrifying intensity over a barely submerged reef shelf. When...

Shipstern Bluff is one of the most terrifying waves on the planet—a Tasmanian slab famous for its mutant "steps" that form mid-face as the wave throws over a shallow reef ledge....

Shark Island is Sydney's most punishing wave—a right-hand slab that breaks over an almost-dry rock shelf, producing thick, heavy barrels of cartoonish proportions. The wave is...

Ours (Cape Fear) is Sydney's most notorious wave—a heavy right-hand slab that breaks over shallow rock in front of dramatic sea cliffs in Bra Boys territory. Made famous by the...

The Right is one of the heaviest waves on Earth—a mutant right-hand slab that detonates over a flat rock shelf on Western Australia's remote south coast. When massive Southern...

Cyclops is one of the most terrifying waves in the world—an ultra-shallow slab that breaks over a barely submerged reef shelf near Esperance on Western Australia's remote south...

Cow Bombie (Cowaramup Bombora) is Australia's premier big wave break—an open-ocean reef that lurks 2 kilometres offshore from Gracetown in the Margaret River region. When massive...

Waimea Bay is the birthplace of big wave surfing—a thundering right-hander that only truly comes alive when swells exceed 15 feet. When it's on, the takeoff is a heart-stopping...

Jaws (Pe'ahi) is one of the biggest rideable waves on Earth and the birthplace of tow-in surfing. A deep water reef amplifies massive North Pacific swells, producing walls of...

Phantoms is a big wave outer reef that lurks beyond Velzyland and Sunset Beach, only awakening when XL winter swells march in. It funnels swell toward the shoreline breaks and...

Outer Log Cabins is the North Shore's extreme outer reef that refracts long-period WNW swell toward Pipeline. Breaking on only the biggest swells, it reforms into Pipe on the...

The Backdoor Outer Reef encompasses Pipeline's 2nd and 3rd reef, breaking 80 yards outside the main zone at 4x+ overhead. Foamy lumps reform into Pipe on the inside, creating one...

Himalayas is a massive outer reef off Haleiwa that only breaks on historic, once-in-a-decade swells. Named for the Himalayan scale of the waves it produces, this is true frontier...

Ghost Trees is Pebble Beach's secret big wave—a right-hand slab named for the white, ghostly Monterey Cypress trees that frame the break. The Carmel Canyon focuses swells to...

Avalanche is a deepwater outer reef near Haleiwa that handles massive swells when the nearshore breaks max out. It offers big wave left-handers in relatively deep water.

Killers at Isla Todos Santos is the West Coast's answer to Mavericks and Jaws—a world-class big wave spot where underwater canyons focus and amplify winter swells to terrifying...

Rarely's is a second-tier big wave spot on Isla Todos Santos that breaks less frequently than Killers but offers quality big wave surfing when conditions align. Named for its...

Thor's Hammer is a heavy slab on Isla Todos Santos that breaks with extreme power over shallow reef. The wave is aptly named—wipeouts here feel like being hit by a mythical...

Cloudbreak XXL (aka "Thundercloud") is big-wave surfing's most terrifying playing field—the outer reef at Fiji's famous Cloudbreak that activates during massive Southern Ocean...

Teahupo'o is surfing's most feared and respected wave—a mutant left-hand slab that detonates over an impossibly shallow reef on Tahiti's southern coast. When S-SW swells push...

Dungeons is South Africa's premier big wave spot—a powerful right-hand reef break near Hout Bay that hosts the Red Bull Big Wave Africa event. The wave produces double-up drops...

Safi Le Jardin is one of the most feared waves in Morocco—a heavy, slabbing right that breaks over a shallow reef just outside Safi harbor. When massive WNW swells arrive, usually...

Uluwatu Bombie is Bali's big-wave arena—the deep-water outer reef that activates when massive Southern Ocean swells march north. While the famous inside sections of Uluwatu max...

Punto La Gillette is the gnarliest wave in Venezuela—a shallow coral slab in the remote Los Roques archipelago that produces fast, thick right barrels when solid north swells slam...