/countries/show/french-polynesia/1.rss en-us Located in the small town of Teahupoo off the south-east side of Tahiti Island, is the worlds largest wave machine. This locale ranks the top of an experienced surfers must ride list and is only recommended for those who are in peak physical condition and highly capable, or alternatively looking for a glorified closeout. Home to the Billabong Pro Surf competition part of the World Championship Tour, the swells here get as large as 12ft. A 15 minute paddle from shore, surfers will face the some of the most powerful waves on the earth, this is due to the swells moving from a gently sloped bottom which get launched forward by a reef break. Majority of the waves are left breaking, but along the outer reef right breaks are possible, so surfers must be cautious when paddling out. First surfed by local Tahitian Thierry Vernaudon back in 1985 when waves were smaller, now a day the title of tamer to the world’s heaviest wave ever ridden resides with Laird Hamilton. Renowned for the consistent number of barrels it creates, Teahupoo makes other big wave venues meager warm ups for this particular feat. The waves pitch with such velocity that you must take off under it or be faced with being hurled into the shallow reef. Thu, 21 Feb 2008 21:00:49 +0000 http://www.thecircumference.org/experiences/surf-tahiti http://www.thecircumference.org/experiences/surf-tahiti