West Cliff, Santa Cruz crowds had to watch in horror as someone tried to poach Steamer Lane in a dinghy. Six people nearly died in a basic physics lesson, unwillingly sacrificing themselves where many more can learn from it.

A small open-deck motorboat, clearly outmatched by the conditions, drove along the shoulder of a cresting wave instead of quartering away from it. Then the whitewater did exactly what whitewater always does. The boat went over fast and hard. Six people needed rescue and went to the hospital.

The vessel had a run to avoid going beam-on to breaking surf, but already it was too close to surfers. You can see clearly how being with the wave was working, which should have transitioned into a quarter away from the break or tucking in behind the crest. What you never do is point your bow into the washing machine, especially when it’s 10X your size.

Everyone appears to have survived, which is the only lucky part of this story. No life jackets visible, which matches the stupid moves.

The ocean doesn’t care about confidence. It doesn’t debate. And a 19-foot center console in those conditions is like bringing a toothpick to a gun fight.