River Bar Crossing - Tillimook Oregon last October.
The Tillimook bar closes on the ebb flow 50% of the days of any month due to standing waves created by strong outgoing tide/bay flows meeting incoming swells. The bay entrance is akin to a giant balloon of water shooting thought a 100yrd wide venturi between the north and south jetties. This same bar dumps a 40ft charter boat on its ear about one in every 3-4years and is one Jeckle and Hide of a habor entrance as one could ever hope for.
That morning the tide peaked at 0600 and given the big swing from high to low was sure to close for next six hours. Solo, I elect to run out before the coasties come out for their moring closure inspection allowing me to fish un disturbed in the relative calm of the open ocean. As I run out the bar in need both GPS and Radar as it is dark as dark can get.
I cross the bar without incident and perhaps 60secs outside the danger zone I catch a glimse of something white on the water about 400yrd wide and heading straight for me. At first I think its just the night glow reflecting off the water, only, its closing in on me very repidly. As it draws closer with me staining to make it out, I see it is 13-14ft continously breaking wave that appears to be growing taller as it rolls into shallower water toward me. No time for screwing around I nail it full trottle and 90 degree turn to south in an attempt to out run the breaking section of the wave. Just making it I cut the power and point into the wave as if fills the windsheild, way above my head which is about 7ft off the water when at the helm station.
The bottom drops out for a free fall that seems like an eternity only to see another, and another of equal size rolling down on me. I come completely out to the water two more times - each time again, free falling 12-13ft into the trough. I managed to not soil myself while turning back to see the first of the three monsters completely blowing out the bar entrance and covering the tops of jetty as it and it's two sister roll straight into jaws of the bar.
If I had been just 40-50second slower I would have been caught right at the tips of Jetties with nowhere to go but under as they surely would have flipped/swamped the boat. The curl on these wave created a tube large enough to surf 20ft boat inside of them -well maybe not a 20ft'r but certianly a 16ft boat.