OK, so it's not surf ski - but I was fascinated by this sequence of shots that show a US Coast Guard vessel "practising" going through some massive waves, apparently off the California coast.

US Coast Guard boat about to tackle a monster wave

Saturday and Sunday mornings at Marine Surf Lifesaving Club sees an interesting bunch of paddlers hitting the beach at around 6 am. The group is clearly divided into the "Hotshots", comprising a handful of paddlers whose names regularly feature at the top end of the race results and "Dad's army", a larger group who have no aspirations or misconceptions when it comes to their paddling abilities.

Hotshot's surf ski post dumping

False Bay was covered in breaking 2m waves and the wind, already 30kts, seemed to be strengthening.  But the worst problem was that it was already almost dark.

And as I paddled into Fish Hoek at the end of what should have been a classic downwind run, I was frantic with worry - I was almost certain that one of the group was off his ski, in the water, about ten kilometres back near Millers Point. 

Forecast (on Buoyweather.com): "Gale Warning. Very windy conditions with rough seas

Small craft advisory: Large long period swell

Winds: SE 27 to 35kts

Seas: SW 14ft at 13sec"

Translation: "Yee haa!"