Nazaré, Garrett McNamara, and the Art of Packing Well

I came to Nazaré for the cliffs and clichés, expecting postcard views and maybe a few polite conversations about surf. Instead, I found myself three days deep in culture, gear talk, and sea air—courtesy of Thule, who had gathered a small crew to unveil their new Aion surfboard bag. They didn’t just slap a logo on it. They built it with Garrett McNamara, a man who’s stared down mountains of water and lived to redesign the luggage. You can buy chips and a coke, but you can’t buy experience.

Nazaré is the kind of town that doesn’t try too hard—it doesn’t need to. Pastel buildings lean into steep lanes, locals nod with sunburnt ease, and the Atlantic waits at the end of every street. Our hotel looked like it had been plucked from the set of The Grand Budapest Hotel—ornate, pastel-coloured, and full of quiet charm.

Before the main event, I wandered through the cobbled streets, indulging in the local culture. I tried a pastel de nata that defied logic, met some weathered but warm local fishermen, and visited the iconic Nazaré point. The town hums with a quiet, salty wisdom.

The next morning Garrett unveiled the new Thule board bag with the kind of pride you’d expect from someone who helped design it himself. Picture a board bag that finally grew up—pockets for everything, padding where it matters, built to survive baggage handlers and Baja trips alike. It’s sleek, functional, and built with that rare combination of ruggedness and restraint. You can tell it wasn’t designed in a boardroom. One of the standout features of the bag is the internal board cradle system—adjustable, padded, and designed to keep your board locked in tight without crushing the rails. It’s like a seatbelt for your stick, built for long hauls and bumpy baggage handlers. Garrett called it the “best surf bag ever,” and honestly, it might be.

The rest of the day was filled with a mix of adrenaline and immersion. We set out on jet skis to explore the famous break, and while the sea was unusually flat that day, the energy was still unmistakable. Even without waves, you could feel the latent power in the water—the vast stage where those infamous 100-foot walls of water come to life. Being out there, bobbing in the quiet, made it easier to imagine just how terrifying and beautiful it must be when Nazaré is truly firing.

We followed it up with a buggy ride to the lighthouse museum, where surfboards hang like war medals. Twiggy’s board was up there, repping South Africa among the heavyweights. Nice to see a Saffa in the lineup, even if only in foam and fiberglass.

Later, we gathered around with local legend Leo, who gave an impromptu talk about the deep surf history of Nazaré. His storytelling wove together tales of ancient fishing traditions and the modern surf scene that’s made the town famous. You could feel the pride in his voice—what was once just a small fishing town has fast become one of the most iconic waves in the world.

Then came the press conference. Garrett took the mic, and everything slowed down. One story that stuck was him talking about the best wave of his life—Jaws, 2003. He described getting spat out of a meaty barrel, still on his feet, the kind of wave that stays with you forever. It wasn’t about ego, just pure rhythm and instinct—threading that fine line between chaos and control. You could see the memory hit him as he spoke—like he was right back in it.

He also shared how Thule’s gear allowed him and his wife to keep exploring, even with kids in tow. A quiet but powerful nod to the idea that adventure doesn’t have to end, it just evolves.

That night, we ended it all with a fish braai on the beach. Cold drinks. Wood smoke. Salty air. The kind of evening that reminds you why we chase these things in the first place. The Aion board-bag might’ve been the reason we were there, but what we left with was something more: stories, connection, and a renewed respect for the people keeping surf culture real.

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