Nazaré surprises in summer: XXL swell in August

Praia do Norte put on its winter face in the middle of August. The explanation came from the Atlantic: the remaining energy of Hurricane Erin, already transformed into a post-tropical system, propagated a long-period swell to the Portuguese coast, generating out-of-season waves with size and power rarely seen in summer.

Watch MCYDRO’s video with stunning drone footage from this period:

The role of the Nazaré Canyon

As so often happens, the Nazaré Canyon amplified the swell and delivered a show worthy of the big wave season: heavy sets, fast walls, and tricky channels. Once again, the canyon showed its unique signature, creating massive triangular-shaped waves, hard to read and challenging even for the most experienced big riders. The lighthouse cliff once again became the meeting point for spectators, photographers, and surfers who didn’t want to miss the opportunity.

The swell from Hurricane Erin

On August 26, the swell confirmed itself, despite initial disbelief that it could gain strength in the middle of summer. The following day, August 27, Praia do Norte received sets over 8 meters high, with big wave surfing carried out by jet-ski but also by paddling at times.

The swell also brought a very long period, close to 20 seconds, something unusual for this time of year. These conditions would have been ideal for a paddle-in surf competition, as the spacing between sets (around 20 seconds) provided enough time to paddle, position, and face the incoming bombs.

Watch Above Creators’ video featuring big wave surfers talking about this unexpected swell:

Normally, the big wave season in Nazaré runs from September/October to March/April, making this August swell a rare event.