My diesel sub transited on the surface in the north Atlantic through a storm once, winter of ‘73. I was one of the two lookouts, safety harnessed in. It was us and the OOD.
Several times I could look straight out, level, off to the side of the sub, and the waves were taller than my position. My perch was probably 30 feet or so above the normal waterline. The waves may have been 40 feet high for all I know. Talk about feeling very small.
Woe to the man who went overboard then.
On many a run we requested to submerge as it was a much calmer & more peaceful life underwater.
I am a transoceanic sailor as was Freeper Kenny Bunk; I remember being told as a kid that “rogue waves” were a myth. I suppose the science was settled on that!
I have seen some very spooky waves but none of the monsters. The Southern Ocean is where many build and travel, I suspect, but the Atlantic continues to amaze me. Even the Mediterranean has all sorts of deadly surprises.
You might enjoy the book ATLANTIC, by Simon Winchester, I think. Very good book.
Thank you for your service to our country.