Understanding Rogue Waves May Have A Simple Mathematical Explanation

With so many families spending time at the beach this summer, I was reminded of my own experience in Mexico when I was 18. My friend had taught me how to float and relax in the water way out past where the waves broke on the shore. We bobbed up and down with the swells as they passed us to build and then churn and tumble against the sand. It was very relaxing. Until a series of rogue waves crashed over us, slamming me down into the sandy bottom and tossing me about like clothes in a washing machine. I had just crawled my way through the boiling water to the surface when another wave broke on top of me - way out from where it was supposed to break. The second big wave pushed me into shore far enough, I was smashed down to the sand by the next 3 or 4 waves. Finally, disoriented and sand- and water-filled I stumbled onto the beach and the sand beyond the waves. I was exhausted and terrified, and it has been a struggle to get out past the breaking waves ever since. I have done so on several occasions, however, the fear those rogue waves induced is still there.

The experience did give me some curiosity about rogue waves and why they are caused. The two rogue waves I encountered probably weren't rogue at all (after reading this article), they did differ from the unusual wave pattern on the beach where we stayed for a week and I didn't see them occur again while we were there.

And, after reading the article which sparked my curiosity, the explanation and mathematical model may be simple, however, without some knowledge of higher math concepts, it wasn't easy.