When enormous swells pound the California coast, the bravest surfers often grab the spotlight.

But late last week at San Francisco’s Ocean Beach, with a building north swell attracting a handful of surfers and scores of spectators, all eyes were on the U.S. Coast Guard.

The accompanying images, used with the permission of Pacifica photographer Dave Rogers, show Coast Guard vessels being maneuvered in harrowing conditions during a series of awe-inspiring training sessions.

“My son served in SF,” Debbie Dawson Duncan wrote in the comments section of a post on the NorCal Wild Facebook page. “If I had seen pictures like these I would have never slept. Thank you for all your service. God bless you and keep you safe.”

Rogers, who had planned to photograph surfers, told FTW Outdoors that while driving on the highway he spotted several photographers atop dunes with tripods, aiming their cameras toward the surf. He was astonished when he joined them.

“I started shooting pictures as the two boats circled through the breaking waves,” Rogers said. “Waves were crashing over the entire boat. Crew members braced for impact with each wave.

“Each boat varied its approach to the waves, pitching the boats in all directions. One boat rolled completely on its side and yet it popped right back up. Each wave covered the crew members in whitewater.

“Numerous times, only the antennas would be visible, with the boat covered in whitewater. After 20 minutes the two boats went outside the breaking waves and down the beach a little.”

That was for debriefings and crew changes. In all, Rogers said, three sessions held a captive audience from start to finish.

“Everyone on the beach, walkway and in the parking lot were watching the show,” Rogers said. “Some were recording it on their phones, some while walking and not paying attention to where they were walking.

“The whole time, there were a half-dozen surfers out about a hundred yards down the beach. I wondered how the surfers can paddle out in waves that are thrashing around a Coast Guard boat.”

–Images are courtesy of It’s A Wild Life Photography by Dave Rogers