Surfing Fans Are Already Calling This The 'Wave Of The Decade'

Peter Mel probably won't sleep for weeks with the amount of adrenaline still pumping through his veins.

The 51-year-old big wave surfer caught what's being described as the "wave of the decade," while surfing out at Mavericks Beach in northern California.

And it's an absolute peach.

The swell for the entire week at Mavs was huge, meaning Mel and other big wave surfers flocked to the beach to get involved - and they weren't left disappointed.

With massive sets rolling in, it didn't take long for veteran surfer Mel to catch a beauty.

"That wave was by far my best in 29 years of surfing Maverick's," Mel told Surfline.

"I mean, I've been seeing those types of waves my whole life. But I was never brave enough to do it. I always thought, 'maybe I could get one from there.' Then, the other day (Dec 8) kind of catalysed that slightly.

"I'm actually depressed right now. It's crazy. I don't know. It's the weirdest thing. I've never felt this kind of... it's like, 'Oh my God. I'm 50 years old. Did I just do that?' But it's like, 'now what? What do I look forward to now?' You know what I mean? Do I do it again? It's pretty scary, I guess, so I don't know."

The entrance, the speed, the barrel and just the sheer size of the wave itself sent the surfing community wild with many already dubbing it the "wave of the decade".

And rightly so.

Even 11-time world champion Kelly Slater couldn't believe what he'd just witnessed.

"Everyone on earth should see this ride," Slater simply said.

Peter's son John, who is a pro surfer himself, took to social media to share his overwhelming sense of pride in his father.

In a post on Instagram, John said: "Words can't describe what I watched today... 51 years old and just set the standard of what everyone will now be chasing to get the best wave out there. Congratulations Peter Mel, I love you dad!"