For most people, getting caught in the impact zone, taking waves on the head, is something you try to avoid. That is, unless you work for the U.S. Coast Guard.
Drone footage shared by Northern California aerial surf cinematographer DroneGuy650 shows Coast Guard rescue boats taking on towering surf in the San Francisco Bay Area. Rather than retreating to calmer water, the crews steer into the waves. The bows climb steep walls of water, briefly launching into the air before slamming back down.
It’s enough to make even a seasoned sailor reach for the Dramamine. Take a peek at the footage from the safety of your screen, linked here, and below.
The precise location, wave heights, and date haven’t been independently confirmed. But the maneuvers resemble the heavy-weather training Coast Guard crews have conducted off San Francisco’s Ocean Beach, where breaking waves and powerful currents can turn a routine rescue into a life-or-death mission.
The people trained to command these boats in breaking surf are known as Surfmen, an elite Coast Guard qualification earned only after years of experience. Their job is to reach stranded boaters, recover people swept into the ocean, and navigate dangerous harbor entrances when everyone else is trying to get out.
Their workhorses include 47-foot motor lifeboats, engineered to handle 20-foot breaking surf, 30-foot seas, and 50-knot winds. They’re even designed to right themselves after capsizing.
Related: Watch: Boat Goes Airborne in Big Waves, Throws 3 People into Ocean
And about those airborne moments?
“You try not to get air, it hurts!” Coast Guard Boatswain’s Mate Garrett Hamilton told KHSU in an interview about handling surf boats. “Water is heavy,” he added, describing the force of breaking waves.
Former Golden Gate surfman Matthew Whitlow described conditions as “dynamic,” “ever-changing,” and “fluid,” telling KTVU that crews focus on keeping everyone safe rather than getting seasick.
Training isn’t thrill-seeking. It’s preparation for the call that comes when a fishing vessel loses power outside the harbor, or a person disappears into pounding surf.
From above, the boats look like toys being tossed around by the Pacific. Inside, every launch is another lesson in getting someone home alive.
Kudos to these brave men and women.
Related: Unmanned NOAA Drone Boat Battles 65-Foot Waves Inside Hurricane Isaias (Video)
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