Mavericks was a trapdoor to the dark side, and Todos Santos was a rollicking weekend in Baja, fun that could turn bad in an instant. True to reputation, Teahupoo was a wood chipper. ' Jaws was the Grand Empress it was that entrancing and fierce. No matter where these exceptional waves appear, from Hawaii, Tahiti, and South Africa to the offshore areas of California and Mexico, a small coterie of legendary surfers is there to greet them and accept the challenge for the ride of a lifetime.Īlong with sharing her conversations with such well known big wave surfers as Laird Hamilton, Brett Lickle, Dave Kalama, Garrett McNamara and Mike Parsons, the author also paints a vivid picture of some of the places she visited to watch these men tackle the monster waves.Įach area has its own distinct character. When waves of this magnitude show up in the shipping lanes, even the largest tankers and cargo vessels stand little chance of escaping unscathed and, in many instances, the ships and their crews are never heard from again.Īs they build in force and race toward a land mass, these waves, usually created by storm surges and wind conditions, are anticipated by a select group of international big wave surfers who tempt the fates as they try to ride the towering giants.

Casey writes about situations where the waves are much higher and occasionally even top 100 feet. These are not just high seas that churn up thirty or forty foot waves. In this newly issued trade paperback Susan Casey looks at the phenomenon of big waves from the point of view of the men who surf them, the scientists who study them, and the sea captains whose task it is to get their ships safely through them. The Wave: In Pursuit of the Rogues, Freaks, and Giants of the Ocean by Susan Casey

The wave book susan casey