Boat Get Totally Wrecked by Wave in Indonesia (Video)

Originally posted on SURFER | By Dashel Pierson | Last updated May 4, 2025 5:21 PM ET

Hell hath no fury like an ocean scorned. Well, maybe that’s a bit exaggerated, but still. Don’t mess with the ocean. The natural power, force, and dangerous – when the ocean is at its angriest – are no match for humans…no matter what vessel they attempt to use to navigate the high seas.

Case in point: This unlucky boat captain in Indonesia. Little context is given as to what’s actually happening in the situation, but it appears it comes from Puger Beach on Java, Indonesia. The boat attempts to navigate through the surf zone, with incoming waves. And that doesn’t play out so well. Not one, but two hefty waves smash the boat, before the captain is essentially shipwrecked.

Although not quite as popular as some of Indonesia’s more marquee surf spots, Puger does have waves. According to a spot guide from Mondo Surf:

“The beach features a point break that caters to surfers of various skill levels, from beginners to advanced. Optimal surfing conditions at Puger occur with swell sizes ranging from 3 to 8 feet, originating from the southeast, complemented by westward winds. Mid to high tides are considered ideal for surfing here. The spot has a sand and rocks bottom. Wave length ranges from 50 to 150 meters. Puger is known for its regular wave frequency and is often uncrowded.”

The scene from Puger brings to mind the time a boat was motoring through the lineup at Nias during a massive swell, and well, you can guess what happened next. As photographer Ryan “Chachi” Craig, who was there during the disastrous boat wipeout, recalled:

“As the swell continued to grow, this boat detached from its mooring and drifted into the lineup. It barely made it over the first wave and was wrecked by the second…I was sitting to the inside of the surfers and this was my vantage point of the boat, clearly drifting along the inside. After it was hit by the two waves and the boat literally disintegrated without a trace.”

Luckily, this situation with the boat at Puger wasn’t quite as catastrophic.

This article first appeared on SURFER and was syndicated with permission.

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