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In a big wave wipeout, a breaking wave can push surfers down 20 to 50 feet (6.2 m to 15.5 m) below the surface. Once they stop spinning around, they have to quickly regain their equilibrium and figure out which way is up. Surfers may have less than 20 seconds to get to the surface before the next wave hits them. Additionally, the water pressure at a depth of 20–50 feet can be strong enough to rupture one's eardrums. Strong currents and water action at those depths can also slam a surfer into a reef or the ocean floor, which can result in severe injuries or even death.
The biggest waves in a decade are pounding Hawaii's North Shore.
Visitors and locals alike marveled in their wake -- 40 to 50 feet high at Oahu, according to the National Weather Service.
"It's crazy," Peter Panais of Canada told CNN affiliate KHON. "Honestly, these are probably the biggest waves I've ever seen in my entire life."
originally posted by: ReadLeader
a reply to: Spider879
It is actually caused by El Niño, thats why I put it in 'fragile earth' - I would have loved to just witness this. (but I am a beach junkie and surf fanatic) so I, probably am more interested then the average Joe/Jane. Never-the-less, mother earth never ceases to amaze me
thanks for posting,
originally posted by: Spider879
Isn't there a name for that like.... TSUNAMI!!!! ..
originally posted by: LSU0408
a reply to: ReadLeader
I was expecting something close to this, maybe a little bigger...
I don't know how they measure the size of a wave, but the video they showed just looks like choppy water waves from an incoming storm.
originally posted by: GoShredAK
originally posted by: LSU0408
a reply to: ReadLeader
I was expecting something close to this, maybe a little bigger...
I don't know how they measure the size of a wave, but the video they showed just looks like choppy water waves from an incoming storm.
In Hawaii they measure from the back of the wave so the faces were probably higher than 50 feet.
50 feet hawaiian style is death lol.
That pic looks like the 100 footer from Portugal, probably a 70 foot swell I'm thinking, IMO the waves break much faster, steeper, and with more power on the hawaiian north shores than many other places.
As gnarly as that is, I believe that surfer got a hard time for "riding the shoulder", the easiest part of any given wave to navigate, plus that wave doesn't really pitch the lip and break heavy.
Not saying I wouldn't be utterly petrified in those waters, before I died.
Just waves are dynamic.
ETA: looking again I don't think that was the 100 foot ride, but I am pretty sure it's the same surf spot.