Wind with direction from the Northeast (NE) quadrant ideally, or North (N). Wave size greater than 4 meters for the Nazaré area. Wave period equal to or greater than 14 seconds. In summary, for the giant wave to be born, it is important to guarantee some conditions: In the following video you can clearly see the shock of the two waves and the creation of the famous triangle wave: These factors combined result in much bigger and more powerful waves than in other areas of the Portuguese coast even a few hundred meters from Praia do Norte. In addition, the current coming from the beach in the opposite direction adds a few more meters to the waves, and the wind interaction can also be constructive with a Northeast (NE) wind. Which considerably amplifies the final size of the waves. When these two swells meet again closer to shore, they collide, causing a constructive triangle interaction The swell that crosses the canyon channel maintains its power and speed thanks to the great depth and changes its direction to be more perpendicular to the coast, due to the geography of the channel itself. The Nazaré Canyon divides the swell into two distinct parts: a swell funneled by the canyon channel and another swell beside the canyon. Large offshore storms in the Atlantic Ocean can cause strong swells when they have a high period and a Northwest (NW) direction, In the following video, WSL shows the phenomenon of generating large waves in the Nazaré canyon very well (segment from "2018 Nazare Tow in sessions" video): It has long been known that something is different in North Beach! On special days, with the combination of several elements of nature, as if it were a conspiracy, the magic happens! 
How nature creates the big waves at Nazaré? There is a sleeping giant! When he wakes up, he shoots waves of 30 meters (almost a 100ft)! Right in front of Nazaré beach, often serene and inviting for a swim,
The cause of this hazard zone is below the water. That was sunk in the depths of the Nazaré canyon - event reported by elderly people who saw. Since old times, the surrounding area of Nazaré has always been feared by fishermen due to the strong sea. Nazaré North Canyon generates giant wave for Garret McNamara in 2015, Nazaré North Canyon Geography - image from blog Mesozoico Nazaré North Canyon seen from Satellite - image from Google Maps It might be related with the Nazaré fault, a fracture zone with movements that can cause earthquakes. The origin of the Canyon is still shrouded in mystery, because it belongs to a complex geological area. It is 227km long and 5 Km maximum depth, with several steep slopes. The Nazaré North Canyon is one of the largest submarine canyons in the World, a giant hole in the bottom of the sea! Sometimes in a favorable way, like the big Atlantic Ocean swells, the collision of two waves directions, the wind, the tides, the sea currents and sea floor. The Nazaré North Canyon is a underwater canyon and the main responsible for the generation of the big waves at Praia do Norte - Nazaré - Portugal, in conjunction with other nature elements, Why are waves so big in Nazaré? Nazaré North Canyon with transparent sea - image from Instituto Hidrográfico
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