Australian big wave surfer Ross Clarke-Jones has had a lucky escape after coming off his board in big swell at the notorious Nazare break in Portugal.

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The 51-year-old was pounded by waves against the rocky shore, in a spot known as the "danger zone", after coming off his board.

Rescue crews were unable to reach him.

Clarke-Jones managed to pull himself from the dangerous surf but suffered a concussion and a possible broken leg.

"You know what you sign up for when you surf Nazare, I always have a hell of a time but this was a nice reminder that you never take it for granted. Especially on the smaller days like today where you can get complacent … it was a big mistake," he said.

The waves at Nazare can reach up to 30 metres, but the one Clarke-Jones was surfing was a comparatively small 7.6 metres.

"I think I'm done for Nazare's season, I think I'm going to call it a day," Clarke-Jones said.

He is not the first surfer to come unstuck in Nazare.

British surfer Andrew Cotton broke his back in November last year while riding the huge waves in the area.

ABC/Reuters