Catch a wave

Hawaii, where Barry and I went to different high schools together (he rode the bus, I carried my lunch) apparently is in for some massive waves:

An approaching "giant" northwest swell has prompted officials at the National Weather Service to issue a high surf warning for the north and west shores of most islands as waves up to 50 feet are expected.
The warning, scheduled to take effect at midnight tonight and run through 6 a.m. Friday, covers the north- and west-facing shores of Oahu, Kauai, Molokai; the north shore of Maui and the west shore of the Big Isle.
Forecasters expect surf along the north- and west-facing shores of Kauai and Niihau and the north-facing shores of Oahu, Molokai and Maui to reach 40 to 50 feet. Surf along the west-facing shores of Oahu and Molokai are expected to reach 20 to 30 feet, while the west shore of the Big Isle is expected to reach 12 to 18 feet, according to weather officials.

What does a 50-foot wave look like? Weather Service measurements, of course, measure the face of the wave. So-called Hawaiian measurements gauge the height of the wave from behind, which results in the stated height being about half the NWS measurement - what the NWS calls 50-foot waves, in Hawaii they would call 25-foot waves. I think the face is what matters -- after all, that's the part of the wave you're surfing.  So what does a wave that big look like? Something like this"

I realize this is a term of art that non-surfers might not understand, but this is what is referred to as "fucking huge." Or, as the Beach Boys put it: