Moment surfer shredded by monster wave

Big-wave surfer Mikey Brennan has survived a death-defying ride after being wiped out by an 8m wave at Shipstern Bluff in Tasmania.

A video from the moment captures Brennan being towed into the wave by a jet ski. As he drops down the face of the wave, it barrels over him, knocking him from his board.

The experienced surfer hit the reef and was knocked unconscious in the dangerous swell. His safety crew grabbed him from the water and rushed to him shore before he was taken to Royal Hobart Hospital with minor injuries.

Speaking on Sunrise, Brennan said it was a “pretty heavy situation”.

“Just went down with the boys as usual, went out and just had some fun,” he said.

“I got into a bit of a precarious situation, and yeah, all good, still here.”

Shipstern Bluff is considered one of the most dangerous surf spots in the world, according to surfertoday.com.

The surfing website states the area has a rugged coastline, slabbing wave and the presence of seals, orcas and great white sharks.

It can only be accessed by a 30km jet ski or boat ride or a two-hour hike through the Tasman National Park.

“It’s an extremely difficult wave to master due to its infamous multifaceted inner formation known as The Step,” the website states.

“The wave itself builds kilometres out at sea and forms into a wild beast as it hits the razor-sharp reef, reaching heights of 10m or, in surfing terms, 30 feet, the equivalent of a four-storey building.

“The entire ocean then folds over itself, creating a big barrelling wave large enough to fit a bus inside.”

Brennan said it was one of the biggest waves he had ever caught and the amount of energy in the swell was intense.

“I went down and got knocked out,” he said.

“I’ve been doing this my whole life, I love the ocean and I guess I’ve got maybe nine lives or something.

The surfer, who has previously broken his back surfing in Tasmania’s big swells, said he could remember hitting the reef.

“The rock must have been in the wrong place, I hadn’t ordered it to be there,” he joked.

“These are the things with nature, it’s unpredictable, you don’t know what’s going to happen and you are not really in control of the situation.

“I just remember copping it. I hit my head and got a couple of little beauty scars.

“I don’t really know I got knocked out and can’ really remember, but I was lucky the boys were there. We have a good safety crew.”