Where are the biggest waves on the West Coast?

Mavericks is a surfing location in northern California outside Pillar Point Harbor, just north of the town of Half Moon Bay at the village of Princeton-by-the-Sea. After a strong winter storm in the northern Pacific Ocean, waves can routinely crest at over 25 ft (8 m) and top out at over 60 ft (18 m).



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On a calm day, California beaches usually have bigger waves than Florida beaches because our part of the Pacific tends to be rougher and a whole lot colder than Florida's part of the Atlantic.

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Florida: Florida's east coast and Gulf coast offer surfers a unique experience with warm waters and a tropical climate. While Florida doesn't have the consistent, high-quality waves found in California and Hawaii, it has its own charm and attracts surfers looking for a different vibe and milder conditions.

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Just off the coast, a short distance outside Pillar Point Harbor, Mavericks looms large on the horizon in winter months (November through March), when the storm swell pushes the surf into some of the biggest waves in the world.

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Cocoa Beach is located on a barrier island, nestled in between the Atlantic Ocean and the Banana River Lagoon on the Central East Coast of Florida.

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A wave will begin to break as it moves over a shallow bottom. Waves break when they reach a shallow coastline where the water is half as deep as the wave is tall.

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