The World Surf League 2023-2024 big wave season is officially open. The WSL announced in a press release that, as of November 6, the waiting period for the Tudor Nazaré Big Wave Challenge in Nazaré, Portugal has begun. The second big wave event of the season, the Tudor Jaws Big Wave Challenge at Peʻahi on Maui, Hawaii, will begin its waiting period on November 10. The holding period for both events ends on March 31.
The onset of the waiting period means that the WSL’s Tours and Competition Team is currently monitoring the swells and weather and will call the competition on once the proper conditions for the event are met. The team is primarily looking for consistent surf with a minimum of 25 feet on the face of the wave, but will also consider wind, tide, and fog in the decision to start the event. If conditions look favorable, the WSL Tours and Competition Team will issue a “Big Wave Yellow Alert” as far as 72 hours before the potential event. If favorable conditions persist, a “Big Wave Green Alert” will be issued, meaning the competition is confirmed to be on.
Competition formats and a full list of competitors for both events can be found here.
