Riders of the storm: Intrepid surfers take on Britain's biggest wave as 60mph winds combine with huge swell to create 24ft wall of water

  • The Cribbar phenomenon happens just a handful of times every winter between September and April
  • It smashed onto Newquay's Fistral Beach on Wednesday around 1pm amid Britain’s stormy weather
  • Environment Agency warns people in coastal areas to be vigilant and to expect higher tides than normal after the gale force winds

By Emily Allen

PUBLISHED: 05:31 EST, 18 October 2012 | UPDATED: 06:21 EST, 18 October 2012


Britain’s stormy weather wasn’t bad news for these daredevil surfers who risked their lives to ride a 24ft wave nicknamed 'The Widow Maker'.

The wall of water - called The Cribbar - is known as the UK’s biggest wave and was whipped up by 60mph winds.

It is created when low pressure systems in the Atlantic trigger huge swells which rise up as they pass over a rocky shelf called the Cribbar Reef off Newquay, Cornwall.

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Enlarge   Cribber wave

The wall of water called The Cribbar is known as the UK’s biggest wave and was whipped up by 60mph winds

Cribber wave

The Cribbar is created when low pressure systems in the Atlantic trigger huge swells which rise up

The Cribbar phenomenon happens just a handful of times every winter between September and April.

 

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The 24ft wall of water smashed onto Newquay’s Fistral Beach on Wednesday around 1pm amid Britain’s stormy weather - but it has been known to reach up to 30ft.

The Cribbar is actually a short series of waves which have earned the nicknames ‘The Widow Maker’ and ‘The Bone Cruncher’ because of the extreme danger of riding them.

Cribber wave

The Cribbar phenomenon happens just a handful of times every winter between September and April

Cribber wave

Despite the danger local surfers Ben Skinner and Tom Butler surfed the wave when it crashed in this week

WAVE HEIGHT: HOW ONE MAN'S 3FT WAVE IS ANOTHER MAN'S FT

Some surfers use 'waist high', 'head high', 'shoulder high' and 'over head' as an indicator of wave height.

Others measure the wave face from peak to trough - from the bottom to the top of the breaking wall of water, but it is often difficult to work this out exactly. 

The other way to measure waves is 'from the back'  - known as Hawaiian Style - which translates to around half of the wave face height. For example a 3ft wave would be considered 6ft wave on this scale.

The term 'from the back' relates to when the wave starts to break. It draws water from the shore so that wave trough in the front drops below the average sea level, making the face bigger than the back.

Despite the danger local surfers Ben Skinner and Tom Butler surfed the wave when it crashed in this week.

The amazing photos were taken by local photographer Geoff Tydeman.

He said: 'The Cribbar started coming in with low tide about 1.10pm and lasted a couple of hours until mid tide.

'The surfers are taken out on jet-skis so it takes a while to catch each wave. There was a crowd of people watching them.

'It is thrilling to watch. These guys are riding the biggest waves Britain has to offer.'

The Cribbar is considered to be the UK’s biggest wave spot and is well renowned for its volatility, ferocity and power and is only to be taken on by professionals.

The wave became the stuff of legend back in 1966 when three visiting Australian surfers stumbled upon the waves.

Ever since experienced surfers from across the globe have come to take on the challenge.

Cribber wave

The wave became the stuff of legend back in 1966 when three Australian surfers stumbled upon the waves

Weather graphic

Outlook: The weather looks set to improve as the weekend approaches and the rain will recede

Met Office

A Met Office image showing the areas of low pressure over the UK causing huge swells and gale force winds

Meanwhile, the Environment Agency has warned people in coastal areas to be vigilant and to expect higher tides than normal after the gale force winds.

James Humphrys, area manager, said 'We are receiving regular weather updates from the Met Office, continuously monitoring both tidal conditions and river levels and have had officers out overnight checking flood defences and closing flood gates.

'People should be aware that there could be a lot of water in coastal areas, so avoid trying to drive or walk through any flood water and be sensible when out and about, particularly around the coast.

'Now is a good time for anyone who lives in an area vulnerable to flooding to think about the precautions they can take to protect their properties.'

A teenage girl had a luck escape yesterday evening at Porthleven, Cornwall.

This teenage girl had a lucky escape yesterday evening at Porthleven, Cornwall after a huge wave hit her

A teenage girl had a luck escape yesterday evening at Porthleven, Cornwall

The young lady holding a go pro camera was hit by a huge 30ft wave which hit the harbour wall

A girl had a lucky escape yesterday evening at Porthleven, Cornwall. The teenager was hit by a huge 30ft wave which hit the harbour wall approaching high tide.

The girl was unharmed but had a stiff talking to by locals after paying no notice to the warning signs.

Meanwhile, in storm-battered Sussex five houseboat owners were rescued after one vessel began tipping over in the Surrey Boat Yard in Shoreham making the gangway for four other boats unstable.

A teenage girl had a luck escape yesterday evening at Porthleven, Cornwall

The huge wave crashed against the harbour wall. The girl above was unharmed but had a stiff talking to

The houseboat owners were led to safety at 3am this morning by Shoreham firefighters and Sussex Police, and spent the rest of the night huddled in the nearby coastguard station at Humphreys Gap.

More coastal flooding hit Emsworth and Bosham after a huge spring tide of nearly 20ft surged over the sea defences and left roads and car parks submerged.

Water started to pour into the Anchor Bleu, in High Street, Bosham, shortly before 1pm and rose up to six inches in some parts of the pub.

Waves crash into Lynmouth harbour, Devon which was partially flooded due to unusually high tides

Waves crash into Lynmouth harbour, Devon which was partially flooded due to unusually high tides

Waves crash into Lynmouth harbour, Devon which was partially flooded due to unusually high tides

Flood experts photograph the flooding in Lynmouth, Devon after gales whipped up the waves 

Ashley Starr from the Environment Agency puts sand bags round a drain as waves crash into Lynmouth harbour, Devon

Ashley Starr from the Environment Agency puts sandbags round a drain in Lynmouth harbour, Devon

A giant wave crashes over a sea wall in Pembrokeshire

A giant wave crashes over a sea wall in Pembrokeshire leaving debris all over the road

The car park of Bosham Sailing Club was under two feet of water, and The Quay in Emsworth has been flooded with some cars parked in nearly a foot of water.

In land, torrential rain overnight caused havoc on the roads in the south leaving many virtually impassable.

The Thames Valley was particularly badly affected, and in Hampshire drivers were warned not to remove 'road closed' signs and risk their lives by trying to get across a swollen ford.

Video: Watch surfers tackle The Cribbar last year

 
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Did these guys paddle into the giant waves? Such amazing waves. I just got back from Aus, where i saw a crazy movie called Storm Surfers 3D, but they got towed in by a jet Ski.

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Did these guys paddle into the giant waves? What an amazing storm! I just got back from Aus, where i saw a crazy movie called Storm Surfers 3D, but they got towed in by a jet Ski.

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britains biggest wave it most certainly isn't, maybe englands. I've seen much much bigger waves up the hebrides, as cool as it is you cannot seriously call that britains biggest wave!

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You couldn't pay me to surf in those conditions. In my head, I would keep hearing Keanu Reeves saying "Vaya con Dios."

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They're either very brave or mad!! There's no way I'd do that, but I can understand the adrenaline rush for them, but it could easily be the last thing they do! What a way to go out though!

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Kernowish, it's not a church - it's something called the Institute. I think the pictures are from the big storm back in the 1980s - and the road by the harbour was wrecked by waves in the 1990s.

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The top pics are beautiful, but you've to be a bit crazy to surf in those condition. I wouldn't have the nerves.

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the picture of porthleven church DM was taken in 1986. It hasnt been like that for a long time. I will happily take recent photos for you if you are not up to the task-----------------------HAHAHA, well rumbled kernowish!

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the picture of porthleven church DM was taken in 1986. It hasnt been like that for a long time. I will happily take recent photos for you if you are not up to the task

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Cool :)

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