5 Monster Waves Caught On Camera

Former US Navy officer here. I took an Arleigh Burke destroyer through a category 3 hurricane. It was simultaneously the most memorable and least pleasant experience of my life.

Spent 20 years in the Navy. Most of the swells in this video are pretty common fare in storms at sea. I've seen far bigger. We went thru a class 5 super-typhoon between Hong Kong & Singapore once. The bow of the ship dipped under the water so frequently we felt like a submarine. I remember being on the bridge and hitting one swell so hard (or it hit us so hard) that part of the metal railing broke off and went flying past the bridge wing. But the REAL scary part of a storm happens below-decks, under the waterline, where most of the berthing & engineering spaces are. Some waves hit so hard you'd swear a whale ran into the side of the ship, right next to your bed (rack). You learn to sleep thru it. Sort of. Fun times. Glad to be retired :)

Let's applaud the engineers designing these ships that don't break when repeatedly slamming down from the crests of 4-story high waves!

It's absolutely amazing that humans back in the 1400's were able to sail a little wooden ship across the Atlantic Ocean!

It also makes you realise how tough & strong the Vikings were to have sailed so many times from Scandinavia to Northumberland across the North Sea in their longboats Its a tribute to their magnificent boat making skills & craftsmanship along with expert navigating & sailing too. Id be terrified to meet those waves & the sheer freezing conditions in just a Longship They must have been mighty Men indeed.

It's incredible too me that these super long tankers can withstand the stresses of being tossed around without breaking in half. The engineering that can design something that big without it failing in these conditions is amazing.

Vikings sailed the North Sea and Atlantic in wooden longboats. Pretty impressive once you think about it.

I rarely add any comments but I have to say, as a sailor, this video is very well done. Thank you for leaving the videos in-tact and for NOT adding stupid music or annoying "trying to act cool" narration. Makes me want to go check out your other videos too! And thank you to the guys who have shared their stories in the comments below. Brings back a lot of memories for me. I SO wish we had these fancy camera phones when I was out there... Imagine all the great stuff we could have captured on film, "back in the day", before the lawyers, bankers, etc, made us less likely to say 'screw the weather' [report] and just go for it. When I was young, I just assumed I would die out there. Again, great work and thank you for sharing these clips!

One of my biggest disaster fears is being on a boat/ship during bad weather with massive waves. The thought of it is so frightening to me I almost consider it a phobia

Its amazing how prehistoric people traveled across oceans and reached new continents with just simple boats

It's truly amazing that these oil rigs are just out there in the oceans, subjected to salt water, storms, and waves, yet they still rarely cause any trouble. Sure, every once in a while you hear about an oil spill, but given the number of oil rigs around the world, I really applaude the engineers and scientists who made them so reliable and sturdy.

Anyone else just feel overwhelmed even just watching this?

Very good narration, no silly music and no excessive talk, just the facts clearly told. Excellent video.

Is anyone else just so mesmerized by waves. Idk if it’s just me but I could watch them for hours

Can’t imagine how older ships back in medieval times had to go through

I was in the US Navy in the early 70s. We went through a category 5 typhoon that was one of the largest storms in history outside of Hong Kong. It took four days to ride out this storm. The waves were enormous. The waves in this video are not nearly as large or scary. I wish I had video footage of it.

The last ship, Was the only one that was in the most DANGER. I know this for a fact. I’m a retired US Merchant Marine Captain. Graduated from the United States Merchant Marine Academy, class of 74. This ship was taking easily, 40 to 48 degree rolls. Which is damn well dangerous of going over to far, and not coming back, from the roll. Going right on over!!!

The ocean is absolutely terrifying. I dont care what anyone says lol. I have nightmares about this exact stuff happening.

I have a massive fear of open water, just watching these clips give me so much anxiety

The ocean is so beautiful yet so terrifying🌊🌊🌊