In "Cortes Bank," Garrett McNamara joins fellow big wave surfers Andrew "Cotty" Cotton, Justine Dupont, Lucas "Chumbo" Chianca, and Nic von Rupp on an overnight voyage 100 miles off the coast of San Diego to the legendary Cortes Bank. When a once in a decade swell materializes, the crew braces for a session that promises some of the largest, most glassy surf outings ever captured on film. For McNamara, returning to Cortes Bank also means confronting haunting memories from a previous, near disastrous outing decades earlier.

There's palpable tension from the outset as the surfers navigate a pitch black crossing to reach the submerged seamount where waves can climb to over 80 feet. Cortes Bank only breaks under exceedingly rare swell and wind conditions, perhaps once or twice per decade, and this particular swell presented a unique, unreplicable opportunity. The team's camaraderie shines in this episode. We experience Cotty's calculated optimism, Justine's steely focus, Chumbo's one liners, and Garrett's yearning. We get this human counterpoint to the ocean's sublime danger. I really missed Tony this episode, I hope him and Justine make up before the end of the season.

Director Chris Smith and his Emmy winning crew deliver some of the season's most breathtaking imagery. Drone footage sweeps low over churning swells, while remote cameras capture surfers gliding across the wave faces with stunning vistas in the background. Underwater shots reveal the power below, and Philip Glass's incredible and minimalist score heightens moments of anticipation and impact. The camera team makes bold creative choices here: they lean into longer takes to fully capture the scale and gravity of this excursion.

More than spectacle, "Cortes Bank" probes the emotional toll of big wave surfing. McNamara, still grappling with the psychological aftermath of his last Cortes Bank venture, shares candid reflections on fear, obsession, and the cost of pushing boundaries. Justine Dupont's composed resilience, tempered by her own brushes with injury, underscores the communal spirit that sustains these athletes. Nic von Rupp's light hearted banter provides levity. All are anchored by the immeasurable loss from the prior episode, and we are reminded why they choose to keep surfing despite the danger.

"Cortes Bank" is the best episode thus far of 100 Foot Wave's excellent third season. As has become the hallmark of the show, this episode balances stunning surf cinematography with profoundly human storytelling and reaffirms why Cortes Bank remains surfing's most mythic proving ground.

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When the surfers set out to chase a rare swell at Cortes Bank, Garrett contends with painful memories from his last trip there.

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