The 2023/24 big wave season in Nazaré was extraordinary, with several giant swells. According to our count, there were more than 10 periods of giant swells, some lasting more than one day. The season started strong in October 2023, followed by significant waves in November, December, and January, when the Nazaré Big Wave Challenge took place. In February, the largest swell of the season was recorded during an impressive storm, faced by only two surfers on the peak day of the swell: Lucas Chumbo and Sebastian Steudtner.

Sebastian Steudtner stated that in February 2024, he surfed the biggest wave of his life, estimated at 28.57 meters (93.73 feet), possibly surpassing the world record he set in 2020 with a wave of 26.21 meters (86 feet). The 2024 wave was measured with a drone system developed by Steudtner's team, which uses sensor technology also employed in the automotive industry, promising precise measurement of wave heights. Now, we await the official Guinness World Record confirmation to verify if the record has indeed been broken. Although it hasn't yet reached 30 meters (100 feet), it is very close! One day, this mark will be surpassed!

Watch Sebastian Steudtner's recent videos on this great swell of February 2024:

"Surfing the Unsurfable! How we surfed possibly the biggest wave ever at Nazaré":

Surfing the unsurfable... 28.57m+ wave:

The next big wave season starts in September 2024. Until then, the sea in Nazaré will be calmer, but there will still be good days for regular surfing.