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Are we going to die Daddy?
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Are we going to die Daddy?

by David Clapp

Gallery: Man & NaturePosted December 11, 20073,296 views25 comments
Crys of "NO F*8KInG Way!!!!" and the like where eminating from my mouth this weekend, far more frequently than the normal and I must say healthy amount of swearing that I do.

We had 45foot waves and 80mph NW gusts on the Cornish cliffs as a very large and ugly weather system lost its rag out in the Atlantic. It just simply blew me off my feet literally as twice I found myself thrown to the ground, even with 13kg on my back.

The explosions were over 100feet+. Batches of freak waves would roll in every five minutes and destroy everything, it was so utterly incredible to witness.

Just look at those nutters on the clifftop.

Comments

25 comments
Comment posted by Mark Hilliard on December 11, 2007 at 9:40 AM
Increadible image!
Registered on February 27, 2005, 54 Posts, 83 Comments
Comment posted by Marc Dilley on December 11, 2007 at 5:56 PM
Dude, you rule. Great timing.
Registered on November 21, 2007, 57 Posts, 1494 Comments
Comment posted by Ed Cordes on December 11, 2007 at 9:04 PM
Unbelievably great capture. you are a bit of a "nutter" yourself for being there. however you captured the raw power of nature extremely well. :eek:
Registered on November 1, 2003, 451 Posts, 3366 Comments
Comment posted by Michael Anderson on December 12, 2007 at 5:01 AM
David,

NO F*%#@ING WAY is exactly what I was thinking when I saw this before I read your commentary. And I don't swear that much, so I guess that says something! Dude what an amazing spectacle to witness and you nailed it with that monster wave. Those guys aren't even stepping back! Just leaning into it! Nutters is right... Or in the language of David Clapp: (Mass x Acceleration x Wavelength x Distance x degrees Celsius) / I.Q. x weight of Cajones in Kg = P ( death vs greatest experience in lifetime).
Registered on January 31, 2006, 228 Posts, 3072 Comments
Comment posted by Fred Weymouth on December 12, 2007 at 5:53 AM
Wow! I would love to have been there. The little people do a great job of providing some scale to the surf.
Registered on December 29, 2006, 36 Posts, 62 Comments
Comment posted by Kah Kit Yoong on December 12, 2007 at 11:41 AM
Holy F#$%!
Registered on September 27, 2006, 636 Posts, 10682 Comments
Comment posted by Paolo De Faveri on December 12, 2007 at 6:14 PM
I heard about the extreme climatic conditions you had up there last week, David. We're lucky here in Italy to have that formidable barrier named Alps. When that madness touched our land, well, it only produced a couple of windy days and a nice snowfall on the mountains.

Really a great capture here, those water columns are too terrible to be true.
BTW, you apparently survived... what about dad and kid? :biggrin:

:wavey:
Paolo
Registered on August 29, 2007, 318 Posts, 1651 Comments
Comment posted by Bruce Painter on December 12, 2007 at 9:59 PM
This shot is just too cool. Great timing and the people on top really give scale to this shot.

Bruce
Registered on May 11, 2006, 50 Posts, 207 Comments
Comment posted by Reno DiTullio on December 13, 2007 at 2:45 AM
Yeozza! Great capture, and I agree, those people on top are nutters! :toast:
Registered on November 14, 2003, 130 Posts, 1644 Comments
Comment posted by Verena & Georg Pop on December 13, 2007 at 3:10 AM
The way I see it: If it wasn't for the two fellows, you probably would have send your girlfriend to pose up there for you to have a reference point, right? :biggrin:
Terrific shot!
Georg
Registered on July 5, 2006, 272 Posts, 2823 Comments
Comment posted by Paul Wegemann on December 13, 2007 at 6:33 AM
Those "nutters" really add a sense of scale to this amazing shot. Great capture.
Registered on December 14, 2006, 58 Posts, 1888 Comments
Comment posted by Richard Voninski on December 13, 2007 at 5:09 PM
Awesome
Registered on August 30, 2005, 8 Posts, 22 Comments
Comment posted by Tristan Campbell on December 14, 2007 at 5:00 AM
Increadible, unbelievable conditions! Top pic. Tristan
Registered on June 23, 2006, 113 Posts, 719 Comments
Comment posted by Pedro Bento on December 14, 2007 at 7:58 AM
Jesusssssss, what a power, Mother Nature at his best.
I'm laugh about Georg Comment :biggrin:
Registered on September 2, 2007, 45 Posts, 761 Comments
Comment posted by David Clapp on December 14, 2007 at 12:18 PM
Dave to Rachel - "Go on you, get up there and point, go on you'll be fine. I'll ring you, might need you a bit closer to the edge than them."

Cheers everyone, thanks for the comments and expletives.
Michael, your "death vs greatest experience in lifetime" summation is perfect and should have been my title!
Registered on November 28, 2005, 137 Posts, 441 Comments
Comment posted by Charlie VanTassel on December 18, 2007 at 12:23 AM
A small amount of MAN and a whole lot of NATURE! A very powerful photo. :toast: :toast: Congrats on the EP!
Registered on October 18, 2006, 644 Posts, 4801 Comments
Comment posted by Mike Dawson on December 18, 2007 at 12:29 AM
Talk about the fury of nature, amazing image David
Registered on February 4, 2006, 364 Posts, 8872 Comments
Comment posted by Bill Chambers on December 18, 2007 at 12:38 AM
That's one of the most amazing scenes I've ever seen David! Incredible capture!! I'm speechless. Congrats on the EP!
:toast: :toast: :toast: :toast: :toast:
Registered on April 10, 2005, 753 Posts, 21216 Comments
Comment posted by Josh Anderson on December 18, 2007 at 8:49 AM
Absolutely incredible!
Registered on June 2, 2005, 493 Posts, 2996 Comments
Comment posted by Mary Dennis on December 19, 2007 at 7:49 AM
Unbelievable shot David! Amazing and a truly wonderful man and nature image. Everything is right in this----it's absolutely clear how big that wave is and how small those people are. :toast:
Registered on November 1, 2003, 290 Posts, 2897 Comments
Comment posted by Christine Adams on December 20, 2007 at 9:06 AM
What Charlie said!! Wow, that is so amazing to simply witness let alone take pictures of!!! Congrats on that!! Congrats on the EP!!!
:toast: :toast: :toast: :toast: :toast: :toast: ...etc
Registered on January 24, 2006, 119 Posts, 1871 Comments
Comment posted by Alan Bryant on December 20, 2007 at 3:11 PM
Oh my the sense of scale in this shot is awesome.

Cracking image........................and crashing wave :eek:

:toast: :toast: :toast:
Registered on March 31, 2006, 473 Posts, 1081 Comments
Comment posted by Peter Delaney on December 22, 2007 at 4:00 AM
powerful ......raw nature at its supreme, great capture vvvwd
Registered on October 27, 2007, 57 Posts, 101 Comments
Comment posted by Becky Hermanson on December 23, 2007 at 8:52 PM
WOW! What power in this !! Especially with the little people in there for scale . Great.
Becky
www.wildhorsedesigns.com
Registered on January 16, 2006, 10 Posts, 30 Comments
Comment posted by SandyRichardsBrown on December 29, 2007 at 12:14 AM
yikes!
Great shot..

Sandy r
Registered on November 24, 2003, 3937 Posts, 12909 Comments