Garrett McNamara is one of the best big wave surfers on the planet. In 2011, Garrett broke a world record when he rode a 78-foot wave in Nazare, Portugal. Nicole McNamara is Garrett's manager, his spotter, and his wife. The power couple have figured out a way to live a life that grounds them while focusing on what they love– surfing and family.
Garrett McNamara is one of the best big wave surfers on the planet. In 2011, Garrett broke a world record when he rode a 78-foot wave in Nazare, Portugal. Nicole McNamara is Garrett's manager, his spotter, and his wife. The power couple have figured out a way to live a life that grounds them while focusing on what they love– surfing and family.
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Shelby Stanger:
Garrett McNamara is known as one of the best big wave surfers on the planet. In 2011, Garrett broke a world record when he rode a 78-foot wave in Nazare, Portugal. At the time, it was the biggest wave that had ever been surfed. Nicole McNamara is Garrett's manager, his spotter, and his wife. The power couple has figured out a way to live a life that grounds them while focusing on what they love, surfing and family. I'm Shelby Stanger, and this is Wild Ideas Worth Living, an REI Co-op Studios production.
Garrett and Nicole met in 2010 in Puerto Rico. He was there working with a nonprofit called Surfers Healing, and she was there to compete in a standup paddleboarding race. My favorite part of their love story is the first thing Garrett asked Nicole, "You surf?" The pair hit it off and quickly joined forces. After traveling the world for a few years, Garrett and Nicole settled down splitting their time between Hawaii and Portugal with their three young children. In 2021, the pair partnered with HBO to create an Emmy award-winning show called The 100 Foot Wave. In the series, they dive into the future of big wave surfing and revisit the moment that Garrett broke a world record. Though Garrett was the one riding the surfboard, he never could have caught that wave without a team of people helping him, especially Nicole. Nicole was instrumental in getting them to Portugal in the first place, and Nazare turned out to be a life-changing place for their family.
Can you just tell us how you came upon Nazare and why it's such a magical town? How did you know?
Garrett McNamara:
A guy emailed me in about 2005 and tried to lure me there. The first email was, "Can you come surf my waves? See if they're big? And see if they're good? And can you help promote my town?" And then I quickly replied and asked, "Can you please send me a picture?" And the picture he sent was incredible, the most perfect giant wave. It looked just like Jaws with this little jeep on the cliff and then this giant left and right in the background. I couldn't tell what was in front of it.
I couldn't really tell how the wave was breaking or where it was going to end up, but the picture had this perfect a-frame peak, and there was not one person out at this wave. Nothing, nobody. I asked, "Is there any jet skis nearby?" And he's like, "Yeah, there's jet skis." And so we emailed for about five years back and forth. It never really went anywhere. And then when I met Nicole, she's going through, she's like, "I'm going to get you organized." I'm like, "Yes, please do." She was going through the emails and she saw the email chain of me and Paul. In one month she had us in Portugal. It was all because of her. That was the only reason we went.
Shelby Stanger:
Some of the listeners on this podcast are surfers. A lot of people who listen to this podcast don't surf. They're hikers or they do other outdoor activities. Can you describe why the wave in Nazare breaks the way it does?
Nicole McNamara:
There's a couple of reasons. First of all, we have this underwater canyon. It's bigger than the Grand Canyon underwater, and it comes all the way to the beach. It's the only underwater canyon that makes it all the way to shore anywhere in the world. You have all of that energy being funneled down this canyon all the way to the beach, but then it hits this shelf and it creates this wedge effect of the waves creating the biggest wave in the world.
And then since it is right on the shore, it's really the closest big wave in the world that you can stand on this cliff. I could throw a water bottle to Garrett if he needed one. Him and I could have a conversation really while he is riding one of those waves if we wanted to. That's how close you can get to these massive waves. It's the only place in the world you can be this close to a 100 wave and be safe.
Shelby Stanger:
Safe.
Nicole McNamara:
You can be standing on the lighthouse watching these 80 foot waves and feeling that energy. It's the only place in the world you can experience that amount of energy from the ocean, from the safety of land.
Shelby Stanger:
What does that feel like, Nicole, from a spectator's point?
Nicole McNamara:
I think mine is a little different because I just feel so cozy and safe sitting on that lighthouse. And I'm just so grateful for the whole time that I'm not out there in the water with Garrett. But, for anybody who loves the ocean or just nature, to just be there. The beauty of it is it's really raw and really powerful, and it's just super connected to source. Sometimes it's foggy and you get the mist. In the early days, more so of course, because there was not a single soul there. But even now, even when there's crowds of people, that adds its own different kind of energy. For me, I just hope that every person that goes to Nazare and is standing on that cliff and experiencing this beauty and this power can walk away with a little bit more respect and admiration and just awareness of how their actions are going to impact what they're seeing.
Shelby Stanger:
There's something about when a wave breaks on other water, it forms these negative ions. And you're supposed to feel really good around negative ions. It's why we go to waterfalls. If you get near one, there's some magical healing properties. I imagine, going to Nazare, is like being near this incredible exploding waterfall that's ever-changing. It just makes you feel really good to be around.
Nicole McNamara:
And if you're really lucky, you'll come on a day where, when it explodes on itself and shooting out negative ions, it turns into a rainbow. There's some days where every wave just has these rainbows just spewing out of them this way.
Shelby Stanger:
The light the light reflects.
Nicole McNamara:
Rainbows spitting out of the waves. That's those days that I love.
Shelby Stanger:
Nicole, I'm really curious. You're Garrett's spotter, so you're the one watching him from the cliff while he's surfing this wave. You'll be able to tell the jet ski where to pick him up if he falls. How do you prepare to be the support for this situation? Because it sounds stressful, to be honest. Being in control of trying to find where your husband has fallen or not. It also probably takes a big level of courage to be in a relationship with someone who does a sport that's high risk.
Nicole McNamara:
It's funny. Everybody always asks me this question. They always expect some really intense emotional fearful answer. The truth is, I can't explain it, but I have never been worried about Garrett when he's surfing these waves. There was only one time that I looked away and that was because he didn't listen to me and he caught a wave right in front. I'm pointing over here because there's a picture of that exact moment. He caught one right in front of the lighthouse, which breaks on the crop of rocks that's in front of the lighthouse. We've always said, "If anybody wipes out there, they're dead." And I was like, "What is he doing? That was so stupid." But, he made it through.
Shelby Stanger:
Garrett, what is it like for you to ride waves as big as they are at Nazare? What goes through your head?
Garrett McNamara:
You're always - we're looking for the good wave because it's real random. It moves all over the place and there's no real safe zones. Once you're on the wave, all this water goes in towards the shore and it has to come back out somewhere. There's all these little river riptide current lines coming out through the different peaks. But, then if you get the magic wave, in between first and second peak and there's no current coming through the wave, it's really a beautiful magical ride. You really just tap into flow state, I guess you should say. You're just really enjoying the moment and doing your best. But you also, in the back of your mind, you're looking for your exit and you're working on getting to your next. Try to get in the barrel or try to do a big turn or make sure you get out before it closes out.
Shelby Stanger:
Overlooking the Nazare surf is a cliff with a lighthouse. From there, you're pretty much face to face with these massive swells as they creep toward land. The surf there is unique. The position of the underwater canyon forms some of the biggest waves in the world. But, they're also unpredictable and the waves come from different directions. If you watch videos, you'll see that the water is really rough. It's constantly churning from the break of these massive waves. It can also be hard to see surfers that have fallen from their boards, which is why it's helpful to have a spotter like Nicole.
Garrett and Nicole played a large part in putting Nazare on the map for big wave surfers. The two partnered with local government to research the underwater landscape. They helped establish precautions to make these waves safer to surf. After more than a year of studying, preparing, and training, Garrett was out in the waves with friends when he caught the world's biggest wave.
Can you tell us the story of the world record wave? What happened that day?
Garrett McNamara:
The world record day, the day before we'd surfed all day. We were filming a 3D movie with this world-renowned filmmaker from France. We had a great day, amazing waves. The next day, I'm sleeping really good. All the boys come pound on the door. "Garrett, the waves are perfect. Come on, let's go." And I'm just like, "Nah, I'm tired today." "We can't go out without you. They won't let us go out without you with the jet skis."
I said, "Okay, I'll go out. I'm just going to go out and drive you guys. I don't want to surf." And then I had a talk with them in the warehouse before we were leaving. "Look, we're not going out there for ulterior motives. We're going out there purely for the fun of it, for the love of it, for the pureness. Not for your sponsors, not for records. If you guys can agree to that and agree that you're just going out there for fun, then I'll go."
And they all agreed. Then we went out. Luckily, I brought my surfboard along just in case. We get out there. It's really clean and pretty big. Not giant, but pretty big. We had pretty shitty jet skis, for lack of a better word. We go outside. He tried to put me on a couple waves and then I go, "My stomach's rumbling. I got to go outside and do a number two. Take me outside." They took me out. I had this rash guard on, then I had the life jacket, then I had my wetsuit. I had to take all these layers off. I do my business. I put all my stuff back on. He drove me a little bit away from where we did the business. I got in the water. I was going to get present and connected.
I was manifesting the giant wave coming. And then Nicole gets on the radio and she says, "A big set coming, get ready." I get on the board. Get up. The whole horizon went black. Giant waves coming. And then he starts towing me into the wave. My whole goal is to get inside the barrel. He's towing me a little bit to the shoulder and I'm getting frustrated. I want him to tow me deeper, but he's not. I'm holding the rope, holding the rope, and then I just tippy-toe over the edge. It wasn't really choppy. There was a lot of little bumps, but it's smooth and full control. I got to the bottom.
Then I turned as hard as I could to try and get up into the barrel. Right when I got close to it, I could see it was crumbling, so I turned. Then the wave just collapsed behind me and landed on my shoulders right there and almost crushed me down. Then it picked me up a little bit and picked my board up and threw me out in front of the wave. And I landed. Now I'm excited. I'm charged up. I'm like, "Yeah, I want more waves." And to be honest, that wave was small compared to what we've ridden after that. But because I was able to go all the way to the bottom, they actually gave it a true measurement. If you didn't do that, it wouldn't have been the world record.
Nicole gets on the radio, "That was it. That was the biggest wave ever. Biggest wave. Come to the harbor." We're going back towards the harbor and all these seagulls just come flying at us. Whenever I connect that, you connect to nature, you connect to everything and have a deep connection. All these birds came at us. Then I jumped in the water. There's thousands of fish came to the surface. They're all over me. You can see it in the GoPro. It's all real time. We get back to the harbor. I'm like, "What are you guys talking about?" I get in and they come running over. The cameraman comes running over. George Leal with the picture. He is like, "Look at this." I'm like, "Okay. That is a big one." They're all freaking out. I didn't really feel like it was anything special compared to what I've surfed. But, it ended up being a world record.
Shelby Stanger:
Garrett's world record has been surpassed at Nazare more than once. But, he continues to go after some of the gnarliest waves in the world. He's also mentoring the next generation of surfers to ride even bigger waves than he has. When we come back, Garrett talks about his mindset in the water, and the couple talks about the importance of manifestation in their life. Plus, Nicole shares the amazing work they're doing with the McNamara Foundation.
Watching someone you love surf a wave as tall as an eight-story building is exhilarating and terrifying. It can be extremely dangerous. Some of the best big wave surfers in the world have surfed at Nazare, and a few of them have gotten severely injured. Nicole McNamara has been watching her husband, Garrett surf Nazare's big waves for years. The two are intimately familiar with the strength of the ocean there. Their number one priority is always safety. In all of his years of surfing, Garrett has developed some techniques to help him stay calm and alert in the water. The McNamaras have also applied these practices to other aspects of their life.
I've heard you talk about PCP. Tell me what that means.
Garrett McNamara:
It's present, connected, protected. PCP.
Nicole McNamara:
First you have to get present by starting to breathe and connect to your five senses. Once you're connected, you're connected to source, you're connected to everything.
Garrett McNamara:
I really get serious and really focus and do my three deep breaths. Breathe everything out, breathe everything in. Then connect to source. Then focus and manifest whatever I want. It usually comes when I do it like that.
Shelby Stanger:
Let's talk about manifesting. You have this ability to have a wild idea. You imagine it. You go after it. You make it happen. And you've done it again and again and again. You went from owning a surf shop to eventually making a living as a surfer, which I don't think people understand. Making a living as a surfer is really, really hard. But, you've done it. What is your process of manifesting like?
Nicole McNamara:
You truly have to believe that anything's possible. And I think that's where people get stuck. They read about manifesting. "I want to manifest. I am manifesting." But if you don't believe it to your core that what you're trying to manifest is actually possible, it's not going to happen. Because it's like that expression. If you say you can't, you can't. But if you say you can, you can.
Shelby Stanger:
How do you break that cycle? If you don't totally believe what you think you want to do, but you need to because that's your goal. Maybe it's writing a bestselling book or hiking the Pacific Crest Trail or surfing a 100 wave.
Nicole McNamara:
I think surrounding yourself with people who believe in you and believe that anything's possible. Finding yourself mentors. Reading, listening to watching people who have broken down the barriers and made it possible, to give you inspiration, to give you hope that everything is possible. If they were able to do it, then why can't I? And that's why Garrett's mom is always saying, "Why do you always talk about the things from your childhood that weren't good?" I think it's important for people to realize that both of us, we came from nothing essentially. It wasn't like we had things handed to us. We really did have to work for it. We had to have these belief systems. We had to de-condition ourselves and believe that anything was possible.
Garrett McNamara:
At some point in my life, I started believing and knowing that everything's possible. I forget when I actually started believing it. I believe it was probably in my 30s. But you have to stay focused. You have to have your goal. You have to have your map. You have to have a selfless component. That's the recipe for success.
Shelby Stanger:
What do you do when you do have fear or self-doubt come in? How do you let it go?
Garrett McNamara:
It's been challenging lately with my shoulder injury. Not letting fear in because of the pain that I endured for so long. Just really getting present, knowing that everything happens for a reason, as long as it's out of love. You just have to know that everything will pass no matter how much pain there is, no matter how challenging, no matter how dark. It will pass.
Shelby Stanger:
How did you come to learn that?
Garrett McNamara:
I'm really lucky. Most injuries I get, there's no pain. I broke my foot recently. There was no pain. But with my back, a lot of pain. And with my shoulder, way more pain. While you're in that dark pain, you just have to really embrace it, sit with it, and think about what you're lacking or what you're not doing right in your life. Why you're in the situation. What karmic debt are you paying? You figure that out and then you can come to terms with it and then you can get over it. I'll be very honest. It's not something I'm really good at. It's when it finally passes and I'm like, "Oh." But while I'm in it, it's very challenging.
Shelby Stanger:
Garrett and Nicole are immensely grateful that they've been able to manifest and achieve this lifestyle for themselves. They certainly pay it forward. Nicole has a master's degree in environmental education, and she's an advocate for getting kids outside to experience and fall in love with nature. That's why a few years ago, she and Garrett started the McNamara Foundation.
Talk to me about the McNamara Foundation. What is it?
Nicole McNamara:
The mission is to provide meaningful nature experiences to the entire world globally. But, really right now we're focusing on underprivileged children. To provide meaningful nature experience to underprivileged children, to not only provide therapy through nature, but also, in return, create stewards of the earth.
Shelby Stanger:
I love it. Do you have any stories of how it's impacted any kids?
Nicole McNamara:
It's in its infancy stage. It's been running for a few years, and we've started slowly. We started with, there's a foster home in Nazare. They were our first real group of kids. It's a boy's home.
Garrett McNamara:
It's on the cliff looking at the waves. Above the lighthouse.
Nicole McNamara:
We have an amazing person in Nazare running it, Andre, as the lead mentor and facilitator. They meet once a week and he takes them surfing. There's this whole curriculum, this surf therapy curriculum, that provides team building tools, but also self-regulation, coping skills, emotional regulation. Through the ocean and through these little exercises that they do. There's a whole curriculum that they work through. A surf therapy curriculum provided by Waves of Life in South Africa who, they've been doing this surf therapy in South Africa for years, and they've just seen phenomenal results.
Garrett McNamara:
We went to Africa and did the program with them. It was incredible.
Nicole McNamara:
We're actually holding a big training here in Hawaii in the middle of May. The South African team is coming to train on surf therapy just to be even more effective. We have the foster children in Nazare, and then we just started another branch here in Hawaii. The statistics are skewed. But unfortunately, there's 100,000 girls rescued from sex trafficking in the United States, ages 11 through 17 per year. This is just in the United States, and these are rescued girls. Out of this 100,000, roughly, there are only 600 beds in all of the United States to place these rescued children.
Garrett McNamara:
In the rehabilitation centers.
Nicole McNamara:
Only 600 beds. 32 of these beds happen to be on the north shore of Oahu. It's a whole treatment program. The girls are here for a year. And we've just started the surf therapy program with them. They're meeting once a week also and working through this curriculum.
Shelby Stanger:
That's really cool.
Nicole McNamara:
The counselors who live with them, they said just even after the first session, they've seen such a shift in their attitude. It's like they have something to look forward to. They're excited. It's giving them this new spark of life. If they can walk out of these situations and reintegrate into society, but always have surfing to come back to when they're having these experiences of trauma. Once they're really ingrained in the surfing, then we start introducing the environmental concepts, protection, and all of that.
Shelby Stanger:
Through the McNamara Foundation, Garrett and Nicole are providing meaningful experiences in the outdoors to those who really need it. In turn, they're helping kids around the world create a relationship with nature and become stewards of the earth. Thank you so much to Garrett and Nicole for fitting an interview into your busy travel and surf schedule. Thank you also to Barrel for letting you use your Pokemon headphones. You can follow the McNamara's on Instagram at McNamara_s. That's M-C-N-A-M-A-R-A_S. And you can watch the newest season of The 100 Foot Wave on HBO Max.
Wild Ideas Worth Living is part of the REI Podcast Network. It's hosted by me, Shelby Stanger, produced by Annie Fassler, Sylvia Thomas, and Sam Peers Nitzberg of Puddle Creative. And our senior producer is Jenny Barber. Our executive producers are Paolo Mottola and Joe Crosby. As always, we love it when you follow the show, rate it, and review it wherever you listen. And remember, some of the best adventures happen when you follow your wildest ideas.