So the BBC has an upcoming six-part series dubbed South Pacific and to help create some hype for the show they released this footage of Dylan Longbottom in “a 12 foot monster barrel wave.” Before I spout off about why that statement is ridiculous I’ll get through the rest of the nitty gritty.

Aussie cameraman Bali Strickland was in the water filming Longbottom with a specially outfitted TyphoonHD4. Before this shoot, the camera had never been used in this manner. German camera/technician specialist Rudi Diesel is responsible for making this all happen. The following are specs for the $100,000 camera:

TyphoonHD4 & UwaVis 
Using an advanced CMOS sensor with ultra high light sensitivity of 1000 ASA – colour 
Resolution 1280 X 1024 pixels 
HD res. 720p up to 1000 fps 
 Max. frame rates up to 200,000 fps

4 GB internal memory, storage 3500 frames (recording time e.g. 3.5sec at 1000 fps or 7 sec at 500fps / at 720p). Internal memory can be partitioned into 2, 4 or 8 partitions.

UW-housing: 
A live image is displayed on a LCD viewfinder. All camera functions can be operated while diving. The recorded shot can be viewed immediately. Lens control via servo motors (iris, focus, zoom)
Lenses used: (F-mount) Nikon prime lenses 14mm and 17-35mm.

A double overhead wave is nothing to scoff at and just paddling out in that big of surf made me pee my boardies a couple years back in Costa Rica, but I wouldn’t be calling what Longbottom was in a “monster barrel wave.” Not to discredit him or anything, but he’s a big wave surfer that’s been in far bigger surf than that.

Like this one.

If you want to see a monster barrels then check out this video of Jamie O’Brien in his personal sandbox Pipeline.

Or you can watch Miguel Del Toro surf a 100-foot wave down in Patagonia.