Interesting Facts

Brazilian surfer Carlos Burle is believed to have surfed a 100ft wave. (He took on the monster wave - created by the St Jude storm - at Praia do Norte in Portugal. The current Guinness World Record holder, Garret McNamara from Hawaii surfed a 78ft wave at the very same spot in Nazare in Nov. 1 2011.  Footage of Mr Burle's amazing ride will be analyzed by the Guinness World Records team, you can view it on YouTube: Mad!)

No, not surfing the internet, proper surfing. The Guinness World Records organisation has awarded professional surfer Garrett McNamara from Hawaiia the world record record for the biggest wave ridden. (Back in November Mr McNamara rode a 78ft wave off Portugal. The wave formed above an undersea canyon known as one of the biggest wave-generators in the world. That seems like a reason to avoid the area, but there's no accounting for surf mentality.)

Around three waves in every 10,000 are freak waves. (A freak wave is one that measures roughly three times higher than other swells on the sea at any one time. They can measure up to 18m (60ft) - the height of a six-storey building! Not something you want to see rushing towards you in a dinghy.)