Now THESE are big waves

Wednesday, 19 December 2007 07:12 | Written by 
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OK, so it's not surf ski - but I was fascinated by this sequence of shots that show a US Coast Guard vessel "practising" going through some massive waves, apparently off the California coast.

US Coast Guard
US Coast Guard boat about to tackle a monster wave
 

I was sent the photos by Mike Long.  In the email was the following text:

"Large storm swells reached Morro Bay California on December 4, 2007, bringing 15-20 foot swells with some plus sets.  A U.S. Coast Guard 47-foot Motor Life Boat was out for practice maneuvers in the large surf, which is not unusual.  However, a large wave hit that was probably more than they bargained for...at least it's the hardest I've ever seen them get hit.  The air was filled with mist, and they were quite distant, so at times were just a shadow in the mist. I've adjusted them for better visibility, however the quality of the photos is not the greatest due to the above conditions, and futile attempts to keep the lens dry."

Who knows how genuine that verbiage is (I've sent an email to the Morro Bay CG station to find out) but the photos are stunning.  Here is the whole sequence:

{gallery}2007v2/12/USCG/litebox:150:120{/gallery}