Breaking wave (amazing!)...

larry1167

Seaman
Joined
Jun 23, 2007
Messages
70
Re: Breaking wave (amazing!)...

I used to surf this spot a lot. It's Ocean Beach in San Francisco. Needless to say, if the driver knew anything about the break at this spot he never would have been where he was. None of the waves he dealt with when he turned to port broke. He was on the outer bar and they tend to roll and then back off. You can see this if you watch the video until the end. He would have been fine if he didn't gun it but I am sure his inexperience made him think the wave was going to break. I am sure it looked like it was going to break from his vantage point. Only a person with a lot of experience in the surf at this spot would have determined that it was okay to go slower straight into the wave but that person never would have been there in the first place.
 

southkogs

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 7, 2010
Messages
14,977
Re: Breaking wave (amazing!)...

...He would have been fine if he didn't gun it but I am sure his inexperience made him think the wave was going to break...
Y'know after watching it again (and again) I see what you mean to some degree. That wave wasn't gonna' break (which woulda' fooled me too), but If he's pulled off his power there's an equal chance (just prognosticating in hind-sight) that he might have flipped backwards if he got stuck at the top of that curling wave. Honestly, while what happened was bad flipping backwards would have been MUCH worse.

Looks too that the right turn suggestion would be good too. Come down off of that first wave crossing (which he did okay), turn right, punch it and run the trough. There looked to be plenty of "shorties" to cross over. I'm kinda' thinkin' the original suggestion of "heck, that was easy!" might be a little more true than we know.
 

26aftcab454

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
May 12, 2009
Messages
1,510
Re: Breaking wave (amazing!)...

I think the Captain panicked at the absolute wrong time while trying to show off at the beach. He thought he was invincible in that boat and it nearly killed him and his buds.
and destroyed a realy awsome boat.
 

larry1167

Seaman
Joined
Jun 23, 2007
Messages
70
Re: Breaking wave (amazing!)...

I am not suggesting he should have come off the throttle completely. His speed on the first wave he hit was good. If he had done that again he wouldn't have flipped backwards or got air. He litteraly crawled over the last wave in the video after he was dead in the water after the jump and was fine.

There is no way he would have made it if he turned right and tried to outrun the set broadside. Ocean Beach is notorious for long walled up close outs. Punching through surf this big is the only way to go.

Hindsite is 20/20. He got everyone out alive and it could have been worse. Not condoning his decision to be there though.
 

Wind dog

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Aug 13, 2012
Messages
304
Re: Breaking wave (amazing!)...

If he had any b _ _ _ _s he would have spun her around & took his wave!:D;)
 
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