BajaNomad - Have any of you ever experienced "rogue waves"?

Have any of you ever experienced "rogue waves"?

Stephanie Jackter - 11-11-2003 at 01:31 AM

I have heard on a number of occasions, including one I just read in the Gringo Gazette, about people dying when a rogue wave catches them unaware on the shore and pulls them in.

A 43 year old man is reported to have just died from one on the coast north of San Jose del Cabo. I wonder if others have experienced rogue waves and if they're really that much bigger than normal waves, which are intimidating enough to me on that stretch of coast!

This would have been another one for Chopy.....RIP - Stephanie

[Edited on 11-11-2003 by Stephanie Jackter]

Natalie Ann - 11-11-2003 at 07:58 AM

Yep, heard of them, seen them. Much higher than the rest of the waves; we refer to them as sneaker waves as they'll sneak up behind you and pull you out to sea... when walking the shoreline, always keep an eye on the ocean.

Sneaker waves

M - 11-11-2003 at 11:11 AM

Good morning Natalie,
I was the victim of a nasty little sneaker wave a few years ago, even wrote a story about it. Came out of the water buck naked! much to the amusement of a bunch of pescadors up on the cliffs. :yes:

that was a great piece of writing, M - you

capt. mike - 11-11-2003 at 11:42 AM

should re-print it here.

The story

Ski Baja - 11-11-2003 at 11:50 AM

Got any pictures ?

And good morning to you M....

Natalie Ann - 11-11-2003 at 12:04 PM

The short version of your story paints quite a picture in itself... probably not only made the day for the pescadors but also for a few nomads this a.m. :lol:

M.....

jeans - 11-11-2003 at 12:35 PM

The only thing that would make a bad situation worse, would be to be locked out of the van, right?

[Edited on 11-11-2003 by jeans]

It's a baja classic, please post the story again

Keri - 11-11-2003 at 01:48 PM

M, that story made me laugh my tailfeathers off Great story. Bernie you should have had that story in your new book so everyone could enjoy it.. Capt Mike you should post your story again too. This board could use some good laughs k :biggrin:

[Edited on 11-11-2003 by Keri]

sad rogue story

jide - 11-12-2003 at 06:36 PM

I was camping near punta cabras about 5 weeks ago, when 2 persons on quads came by. They were looking for the bodies of 2 persons who got caught by one of these rogue waves, while fishing from the rocks the day before. They looked very worried when they asked us if we saw anything, since they haven't had any sign of life, and their vehicle abandoned.
I left 2 days later with no news about the disapeared, I don't know if they ever found the bodies of these unfortunate people.

Not sure if "rouge wave" is the right label for the area of

Debra - 11-12-2003 at 07:26 PM

San Jose de Cabo.....at least not where the hubby, Brendan and I camped for a month in Nov. -Dec. 1997.....The beach at Brisa Del Mar Campground...it is very steep on the water line there....and the waves crash very close, one afternoon we had invited fellow campers for a BB'Q, and were having a great time playing Volley Ball, it was hot and we all decided to take a swim, it was policy for most not to go alone (the waves were that dangerous) me? Well, I'm mostly a rebel and always enjoy my solo swims and had been breaking the 'rule' for weeks (I'd also been carefully observing the pattern of the waves for weeks, and knew that you have to time them and know when to dive through the bad ones, and how to time getting back to the beach) Well, this afternoon we all (I think there were about 8 of us) went for a 'safe' swim....We all timed our 'beaching' and realized that one of our group wasn't with us, I turned and looked and sure enough he was getting beat to death in the surf on the shore and couldn't get up (it is very steep to get out of the water there) I yelled and started running, 4 men followed close on my heals, we managed to get him out, 'beat' him up enough to get air into his lungs and he was fine. It was very scary though. Next day he caught me solo swimming....boy, did I get a 'butt' chewing!

But, for the rest of the days we spent there he would come and ask me if I was ready for a swim, and I did the same.

[Edited on 11-13-2003 by Debra]

viabaja - 11-14-2003 at 09:17 PM

Check this wave coming in at Santa Maria, south of San Felipe.

BajaNomad - 11-15-2003 at 10:21 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ski Baja
Olas

Puerto Pe?asco

Attachment: mike serf.tif (405.56kb)

J.R. -- need to delete this one and ask if you can put it up in GIF, JPG/JPEG, or PNG format. Formats such as TIF and BMP are not well-suited for the web (or this site).

Thanks for your understanding.

Regards,
--
Doug Means

No hay problema

Ski Baja - 11-15-2003 at 10:37 AM

Not sure if I can figger out how to change it but I may remember in Photoshop. Surf Pe?asco! I'll give it a try.
PS I think you should put your shopping stuff, like at the bottom of your posts, at the top of the page or bottom of the page so people click on it more. Or maybe even, put it directly over my posts when I get out of line. hahahahahaha That should cover a lot of publicity ! :lol:

[Edited on 11-15-2003 by Ski Baja]

Unusual waves

Ski Baja - 11-15-2003 at 10:49 AM

Let's try this one. Surf Puerto Pe?asco.

All alone and nowhere to hide

Anonymous - 11-15-2003 at 11:57 AM

I was surfing the river mouth at Erendier with a friend in 93. 4 to 5 foot faces very consistant. My buddy had gone in and was sitting on the beach. I was outside watching the shore when I saw my buddy jump up and point outside. I looked over my shoulder and saw a two story apartment complex 200 yards and closing. Fear adrenilin and instink took over as I swung my 9'6" around and paddled for my life to make it outside. The wave broke before I could get over so I turtled ( BIG MISTAKE

) When the wave hit me I flipped end over right side up. My face struck the board with such force I thought I was lossing consiousness. Ten feet of white water and I held on. I thought it I let go my leash would break and I'd drown. When I finally got to the beach, I had a broken nose and hole in my lip where my lower teeth came thru. Does that qualify as a rouge wave? Now I know why they dive under the big waves and have a lonnngg leash. :cool:

Sorry

Sonora Wind - 11-15-2003 at 12:02 PM

I thought I was logged in on the above post. :cool:

PS It was Erendira not Erendier.

[Edited on 11-15-2003 by Sonora Wind]

Rogue wave

Ski Baja - 11-15-2003 at 12:12 PM

Sonora, I've never heard of such a thing. Was that the only wave like that? Also, Erendira has always been an interesting name. I'm sure you have heard the many different ways people pronounce it.

Sonora Wind - 11-15-2003 at 02:37 PM

Been surfing sence the late fiftys, moved to Vegas in 1970, so I only get to surf 6 to 10 days a year. It was the summer of 93. It was only one wave. And I've never seen anything like it before or after. It was between sets totally not part of what had been coming thru for the previous 2 hours

Truth is it looked like a two story building, but when you don't surf often, and your lying prone, they look bigger than they really are. Most likley a 10 to 12 foot face with six foot of white water. But it still kicked my :moon:

I call it (Air in dare ra ) Is that cloose to right???

[Edited on 11-15-2003 by Sonora Wind]

[Edited on 11-15-2003 by Sonora Wind]

Erindera

Ski Baja - 11-15-2003 at 04:02 PM

airrr end eerra with the r's rolled. It takes practise to get it right. Our boat captain caught a 50# Jurel and we filled my whole driveway with fish from a few hours fishin down there. Way cool spot!

[Edited on 11-15-2003 by Ski Baja]

FrankO - 11-15-2003 at 06:21 PM

Who knows? Depends on the time of year. Combine a severe tide change with a changing bottom near a rivermouth and you can get a lot of water moving in a very short timeframe. When I see the big one coming I just say flock it and swim to the bottom. I'd rather be leashless(though I've only had it break twice) and swimming than getting the chit pounded out of me by my board. This, of course, after having my nose broken by my stick at county line. It's all about water time

JESSE - 11-15-2003 at 07:53 PM

During my regular surfing sessions theres always one wave that seems to come in from out of nowhere, at least 3 to 4 feet bigger than the regular set waves, i guess this is what you call a "rogue" wave.

They come in all the time almost everyday when the swell is big, its only dangerous if you happen to be standing on the shore on a place that prevents you from holding on to something, if theres rocks around you run the risk of knocking yourself out and drowning.

You've all got me afraid to get in the bath tub!

Stephanie Jackter - 11-15-2003 at 11:12 PM

One reason I've always liked La Paz is that the highest swell you get, even at Tecolote, is about a foot and a half. I grew up in a landlocked area back east and was quite intimidated when I first started going in the ocean around the age of 17. I had friends who grew up in Manhattan Beach that I would watch diving under the waves and making it look sooo easy.

I watched and learned and figured I had it down by around the age of 20, when I was travelling on the mainland with my ex. We saw some kids while walking the beach just north of Barra de Navidad, little kids jumping in and out of some big-assed waves. They had to be ten feet high, at least. The children were laughing and playing and my ex and I walked down the steep slope to the water, thinking that if a bunch of little kids could go in and out of the water so easily, it would be no sweat for us too.

Big mistake. I almost died that day. He made it under the curl, which was really lucky, as I was the better swimmer. But I got slammed by the first wave onto the bottom, raised up and slammed another two or three times. It slammed the breath right out of me, but luckily, there was enough of a break at some point for me to scurry out with my life, bruised and panting. I couldn't have been happier to see that my ex made it out too, as there was little way to save myself, much less go back and try to get him. We sat there huffing and feeling grateful to have survived as we looked down the steep beach and watched the little children, still playing at the water's edge and diving under the curls - and laughing like they'd just seen the clown act at the circus!

My children are growing up with a lot of time spent at the ocean, albiet on the calmer Sea of Cortez side. I still don't know how prepared they are for dealing with waves as I still don't really have my technique down and wouldn't know what kinds of things to show them. Maybe one of you surfer dudes can give them some tips. The two youngest talk a lot about wanting to learn how to surf, but are at a bit of a loss with me as a mother.

The one thing I thought I'd learned from that experience at Barra de Navidad was to watch for how steep it is down from the tideline and not go in if it's too big an incline. But then I went to Todos Santos a couple of years ago and felt some of the strongest tidal pulls I've ever felt and some waves that would smack you against the bottom really easlily cause the whole entry was flat as a pancake. Guess that assumption got put to bed.

So, to all of you who grew up poppin' in and out of the California curls - what are the rules of the road for dealing with tides? How do you deal with getting in and getting past them? And where do you draw the limit on going in at all?-Stephanie

elgatoloco - 11-15-2003 at 11:30 PM

The ocean can be deadly. You must show her great respect. In 38 years of surfing I have had two instances that caused my 'life to pass before my eyes'. It teaches you to always use caution.

When you are at a new beach and considering jumping in for a dip it is advisable to sit awhile (20-30 minutes) and watch the patterns and rythym of the surf. It can help to observe others in the water and mimic the techniques that they are using, exactly, but most important you must analyze your own abilities. You must be able to recognize conditions like riptides (look like rivers of water moving away from and perpendicular to the shore) undertows (typical in areas like Todos Santos, Lovers Beach i.e. steeply sloped beaches) and areas where just a few feet from shore the water depth is over your head (see above beaches) You must be confident in your swimming abilities most of all. Especially in Baja where lifeguards and emergency help are far and few between. My advice would be to stick to the Sea of Cortez or beaches where there is a long,sandy,gradually sloping bottom and lots of people around. We love the ocean and we swim, surf, kayak and enjoy it whenever we can, but we always know what our personal limits are.

Be safe and have fun!!

The ocean

Ski Baja - 11-15-2003 at 11:33 PM

Todos Santos is one of the most dangerous areas of coastline there is. Do not get near the water there if you are not experienced and comfortable being around it.
If you want your kids to learn to surf. Make sure they are comfortable in the water. Start with a pool. But on the bottom of it. You want them to feel comfortable underwater holding their breath. Mask, snorkel and pennies, nickles, and dimes work well to get their
attention and introduce them to holding their breath.
Next, find a beach that is flat with very little slope. You may want to start them on boogie boards to get them used to actually riding a wave.
Start with white water and they will gradually work their way into the waves.
Then, when they are comfortable with this, it's time to teach them about getting in rip tides and currents. I purposely took my daughter into rip tides and strong currents (after I knew she was comfortable in the ocean) to show her what it feels like and how to deal with them. I strongly recommend this for kids before they end up in one and panic.
Once they have learned to be comfortable in the water, the only thing a parent has to worry about is sharks!
Guess what everyone, I bet Stephanies kids turn into skiers rather than surfers! :lol:

Just kidding Stephanie. Those are the rules I have followed teaching many kids back when I could still bend. The key is feeling comfortable underwater and the diving for coins really works well no matter how stubborn they may be. All of a sudden when that rogue wave shows up, they've been underwater before so no big deal.
I just reread about where they are spending a lot of time, Sea of Cortez. Coins will work there too. Or, whoever brings back the most Chocolates!

Stephanie Jackter - 11-15-2003 at 11:47 PM

Yeah, they're fantastic snorkelers already and are constantly having contests to see who can stay under the longest. The oldest got certified for Scuba this summer. They're like fish, but I still worry about how to teach them about tides, as I don't particularly want them to be as limited as I've been when dealing with them. -Stephanie

The ocean

Ski Baja - 11-16-2003 at 12:00 AM

Stephanie, the ocean surfing and scuba diving are two entirely different things. And I have seen many scuba guys go out in front of my house ( usually borrowing my stuff) and completely panick in the waves and currents. And guess where my stuff ends up! Sometimes I can even find it.
In my opinion, waves and scuba do not mix unless you are first familiar with the rip tides and currents.
Since they are already developing gills, get them some boogie boards and fins and let them play in the waves. Don't forget the flat beach part for starters. This rules out most of southern Baja.
Then, when they are rad riders, let em loose with themselves. They will do fine.
Again, the key is feeling comfortable. I do not recommend tanks, weights and scuba stuff where there are waves and currents.

You missed my point

Stephanie Jackter - 11-16-2003 at 12:57 AM

I wasn't suggesting they go scuba in the waves. Only that they're good swimmers with excellent lung capacity and control. - Stephanie

Water safety

Ski Baja - 11-16-2003 at 10:24 AM

Just trying to stress my feelings on scuba and waves Steph. because of the number of times I have seen problems. From experienced divers too!
ElGato's piece on water safety is a very informative post that will explain what is going on in the water. I highly recommend studying what it says and then experimenting gradually when you go to the beach. Hopefully, it will be in warmer waters than your neighborhood because cold water can play a part in safety as well.
Happy surfing Dudette. (surfer terminology) and kowabunga! ( my age showing) :lol: