When waves crash on the shore they actually create vibrations in the Earth that can be detected by seismometers and used to determine the power of the waves. Seismologists have been archiving this data from 22 locations across the world for decades. Recently, a researcher noticed a trend in the data indicating that the overall power of waves worldwide is on the rise. This trend is consistent with the prediction that storms will increase in size and power as a result of global warming.   Link

It should come as no surprise that on January 5th of this year Mike Parsons set a new record for the biggest wave ever ridden when Brad Gerlach towed him into a 70ft+ bomb at the Cortes Bank.  And it should come as no surprise when that record gets broken.

Pororoca is a bore in the Amazon river that could be the world’s longest natural wave.

“Twice a year, between the months of February and March, the Atlantic Ocean waters roll up the Amazon river, in Brazil, generating the longest wave on the Earth. The phenomenon, known as the Pororoca, is caused by the tides of the Atlantic Ocean wich meet the mouth of the river. This tidal bore generates waves up to 12 feet high which can last for over half an hour.”

Check out this great post on Fogonazos. It’s got some great pics, video and links.
Thanks, Fogonazos!

One time when I was a kid I got smacked upside the head for asking if I could build the world’s largest water park 300 meters from a natural beach. Well, as it turns out maybe it wasn’t such a crazy idea after all.

Located in Miyazaki, Japan the Ocean Dome measures 300 meters long, 100 meters wide and the temperature is around 30C. The surf kicks up every hour for a few minutes just after the volcano erupts. The entrance fee is around $24.

Here’s a link to more pics http://www.alltraveltips.com/oceandome.html

Brazilian surfer, Rico de Souza, set a Guinness World Record by riding a wave for 11 seconds on a 28-foot surfboard. Kinda looks like he might be in contention for the tiniest wave ever ridden, too.
Link