Garrett McNamara, 51, caught this 78-foot Nazaré bomb in 2011 that singlehandedly put the place on the map. In heavy situations, GMac understands the importance of preparedness. Photo: Guinness World Records
Learn more about The Ocean Warrior Course here.
Garrett McNamara has been pushing big wave surfing to new heights for decades, but he may be most well-known for his 2011 Guinness World Record-setting 78-foot wave at Praia do Norte, Portugal that single-handedly put the sleepy fishing village of Nazaré on the map.
Now, Nazaré’s reputation for producing some of the tallest surf on Earth goes without saying. McNamara has become the town’s unofficial big wave ambassador, setting up residence and even getting married at the chapel overlooking the beach. He knows the wave better than anyone and has even acquainted the likes of Anderson Cooper with the feeling of a 60-foot wall of water chasing down a Jetski.
Most importantly, McNamara understands the importance of approaching big waves with deference, something he learned quickly cutting his teeth on the outer reefs of the Hawaiian archipelago.
Like many big wave surfers, McNamara jumps on new opportunities to prepare for consequential surf with vigor. He calls Mark Visser’s innovative Ocean Warrior Course something “anyone who’s going to be around water should take.”
Over the years, McNamara’s taken his fair share of beatings – including an over-the-handlebars tumble at Maverick’s in 2016 that nearly ended his career.
Although he’s in his fifties, McNamara continues to be a standout at big wave sessions at Nazaré and beyond and says The Ocean Warrior Course reaffirmed many techniques he’s been using for years, as well as gave him new ones to add to his arsenal.
“[It was] a lot of amazing information. A lot of new tools to put into my big wave toolbox – not only for success but for survival,” said McNamara.
“It made me stay a lot calmer under the water, and be under a lot longer without burning oxygen.”
The course, which our own Zach Weisberg tested on the North Shore this winter (as have Kelly Slater, Shane Dorian, and others), takes a multi-faceted multi-disciplinary approach to ocean safety. It’s designed for surfers preparing to ride the biggest surf on the planet, everyday surfers who may find themselves in a compromising situation, and everyone in between.
“It’s surf-specific and it’s everything that we go through and [teaches you] how to manage your energy and manage your oxygen efficiency,” McNamara explained. “If you can go into a big wave session as prepared as you can possibly be, that gives you peace and confidence and it helps you with your mental game.”
Beyond big wave surfers, though, McNamara even encourages non-surfers to consider the course for CPR and rescue training. “We need to activate as many people as possible on this stuff,” he said. “Someone who’s trained in this could easily be the one who rescues your kid someday.”
Visser may be most well-known for being the wildman who surfed Jaws at night – a feat you’d expect of a man who knows no fear. But as a child after a near-drowning, Visser used to be terrified of the water. It’s what propelled him to create this course in the first place. Now he’s teaching athletes how to hold their breath longer, simulating ragdoll scenarios, and pioneering techniques backed by the science of human physiology.
Surfers are also trained in CPR, rescue, and basic first-aid, all things Visser believes are critical for any surfer.
“It’s very surf specific to show you how to relax in stressful situations without the help of fins or masks, how to trust your training and oxygen levels during long hold downs and bad beatings, and a long list of other simple-to-follow instructions you can study and train online with a partner or a few friends,” said Kelly Slater on Instagram after testing out The Ocean Warrior Course.
