Boat Launches Off ‘15ft Waves’ During Hurricane Swell (Video)

Originally posted on SURFER | By Dashel Pierson | Last updated Sep 16, 2025 9:47 PM ET

While most of the East Coast was either battening down the hatches, or chasing huge surf up and down the East Coast, during last month’s Hurricane Erin, the Coast Guard took it as an opportunity to run some training exercises.

Specifically, in New Jersey’s Manasquan Inlet, where they took a specialized boat out into the rough waters, with a crew of personnel trained for such crazy ocean conditions. And according to video footage from the boat launching off peaks, and navigating its way through wild water, the crew took on breaking waves in the “9-16 feet” range.

Check it out below, and at the 5:12 mark where they get airborne.

Per the video description: “This footage captures U.S. Coast Guard Station Manasquan Inlet conducting surf training in dangerous conditions as Hurricane Erin swell slammed the Jersey Shore. Crews operated their 47-foot Motor Lifeboats (MLBs) in breaking waves of 9–16 feet, navigating inbound and outbound runs through one of the most hazardous inlets on the East Coast. These highly trained Surfmen, graduates of the National Motor Lifeboat School, are among the few Coast Guard operators certified to handle lifeboats in breaking surf conditions — a skill critical for rescue missions in extreme weather.”

What is a ‘surfman’ in Coast Guard parlance? Well, they’re specially trained individuals who specialize in boating through rough ocean seas.

According to the USGC: “The Surfman qualification is the highest certification for small boat operations and requires years of training, culminating in a rigorous course at the National Motor Lifeboat School. These highly skilled individuals are entrusted with critical rescue missions, facing life-threatening situations like 20-foot breaking waves to save mariners in distress.”

For most boaters, and civilians in general, this would be a nightmare scenario. But not for the Coast Guard and these surfmen; this is an opportunity to practice, to hone their skills in sketchy situations, just in case they need to be utilized in the future.

Good on 'em.

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

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