They're the biggest, tallest, and most powerful. Few choose to face them. Few try to understand them. And even fewer can survive them. Yet all are in awe of the deadly force called ‘Monster Waves’. We see the ocean as something to conquer, but waves are more than just scary - they can kill you. Here are five compelling, first-hand accounts about this beautiful yet destructive natural phenomenon.

There’s the big wave photographer who risks his life to shoot surfers close up; the ‘Heavy Weather Training School’ instructors in Washington DC; the Tsunami forecaster who thinks they can predict the next big disaster; the scientists recreating big waves in their lab; and the Advanced Rescue Swimmers who freefall from 20ft in torrential seas.