100 Foot Wave poster

100 Foot Wave

★ 8.1 4K votes 2021–present 3 seasons · 17 episodes Returning Series HBO
DocuseriesNonfiction storytelling across episodes.This show: 10/10SportsAthletic competition and the world around it.This show: 9/10Visually strikingComposition and imagery worth pausing for.This show: 9/10Wonder & aweSpectacle and imagination that expand the world.This show: 8/10AdrenalineAction and thrills as the primary reward.This show: 8/10Nature & scienceThe natural world or science itself as the subject.This show: 7/10Big-budget spectacleBlockbuster-scale production values.This show: 7/10AtmosphericMood and place thick enough to touch.This show: 7/10
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100 Foot Wave Episode Ratings Heatmap

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S18.18.28.08.38.17.77.9
S28.18.27.68.18.28.28.2
S37.06.66.97.87.26.3

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About

"Ordinary people staring down nature's biggest waves"

This documentary follows surfer Garrett McNamara and a tight-knit crew of big-wave riders as they chase the massive swells that break off Nazaré, Portugal, some of the largest waves ever surfed. It's part sports doc, part character study, mixing jaw-dropping ocean footage with the toll the obsession takes on bodies, marriages, and friendships. The pacing is patient, letting you sit with the danger and the beauty rather than rushing to the next stunt. It works best if you're drawn to raw nature footage and people who risk everything for something most of us would never attempt.

Watch it for

the astonishing, often terrifying footage of surfers taking on waves most people can't imagine.

Maybe skip if

you want fast-paced storytelling rather than a slow, meditative look at obsession and risk.

Written by our AI editor to help you decide, spoiler-free by design.

All Seasons

Season 12021
8.169865h 22m
Season 22023
8.140165h 12m
Season 32025
7.034353h 37m
Season 3 features the series’ signature intimate interviews, vérité photography, and dramatic visuals with stunning aerial and water footage, showcasing the death-defying beauty of big wave surfing as the athletes risk it all in a quest for the ultimate high. United in their love for the ocean and a compulsion to push the limits of their minds and bodies, the surfers also endure mental and emotional struggles dealing with parenthood, aging, injuries, and even death. As Garrett confronts the toll decades of surfing have taken on his body and mind, he reckons with downshifting a career in a sport that has defined his life. As he looks to pass the torch to a younger generation, the quest to find the next Nazaré and to surf the one-hundred-foot wave never ceases.

Full Cast & Crew

Cast

Garrett McNamara Self, Self - Big Wave Surfer
Nicole McNamara Self, Self - Garrett's Wife and Manager
Andrew Cotton Self, Self - Big Wave Surfer
Bill Sharp Self, Cortes Bank Pioneer
Justine Dupont Self, Self - Big Wave Surfer
Cj Macias Self, Self - Nicole's Brother
Laird Hamilton Self
Kai Lenny Self, Self - Big Wave Surfer
Lucas Chumbo Self, Self - Big Wave Surfer
Al Mennie Self

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