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Boats Battle ‘65-Foot’ Waves in Terrifying Footage (Video)

Originally posted on SURFER | By Dashel Pierson | Last updated Sep 3, 2025 8:19 PM ET

The open ocean is a scary place. It’s somewhat of a contradiction – on one hand, it’s peaceful out there on the sea; on the other, with no land in sight, it’s a bit chilling.

Hence the medical diagnosis of kenophobia, as opposed to agoraphobia. With regards to both, Health Grades makes the distinction: “Kenophobia is a fear of empty spaces and voids, such as an open field or an empty room. In contrast, agoraphobia is a fear of being in situations or environments that the individual cannot escape. This typically refers to busy public places such as shopping centers or public transport. However, an individual with agoraphobia may also fear empty unfamiliar spaces."

The open ocean feels more like kenophobia – and when you add massive, rogue wave swells into the mix, things can get even more terrifying. For example, this clip below, of massive cargo ships taking on “65-foot” waves while motoring through the open ocean.

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This clip shows waves pouring over onto the deck of these large vessels, demonstrating the power of the ocean. And in another clip, which unfortunately cannot be embedded here, it shows ships going through the most hellish seascapes imaginable.

In that clip, they captioned:

“Ship vs Storm — when the ocean tests every bolt, engine, and soul on board.”

“Storm waves can rise higher than 20 meters (65 ft) and winds often exceed 100 km/h — enough to shake even the largest vessels.”

“Fun fact: Modern ships are built to withstand Category 12 Beaufort storms — but the crew’s courage is what truly keeps them steady.”

So, these boats are built sturdy. They can handle these types of situations. But still, it must be pretty damn scary being onboard when one of those 65-footers is charging your way. Kudos to these captains and shipmates who take on the job.

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

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