best advice i seen on the above posts was taker her sloooooow. turn the auto bilge on too if you have one on your boat. i have seen times i had no choice what angle to hit the waves... like toledo bend, bouys are there for a reason.. not saying the bouys are right as well.

Thanks for all the advice. I was kidding about going real fast and jumping from wave to wave. When the wave came over the bow, I was going about 20. Might've been a little over. I was watching a guy on a jet ski that looked like he was having fun, then BAM! Lessen learned. Never take your focus off the task at hand.

The funny part, my golden retreiver was soaked, and looked at me like, "you dumb arse!"

Again, thanks for all the advice. Very helpful.

Like they said, keep the bow up and control your speed. I've seen many a 20+ foot boat with busted windshield and equipment because they thought they could run in rough water. One thing to remember if your jumping waves your motor is reving and slamming into the waves, not good for a motor or transom.

It's the same going against or with the waves it takes a lot of throttle. Life jackets on and speed control will get you home. Hot foot makes it easier but is not mandatory.

If it is white capping I don't go on the water. Any wind over 15 mph and I just stay home.

+1000%
When I do get caught, I slow down, keep the bow up if it's really rough, use cover to block the wind and run the troughs if possible. Got caught in the Salinias arm on Falcon in Feb. this year when a 30+ mph North wind hit. Got beat stupid and knocked the engine cowling loose. Some of the largest waves I've ever been in and probably the only time in 35 years of running bassboats that I have ever felt in peril. Made it back to the State park with all my stuff intact, relatively dry, a few sore joints and a new respect for big waves.

I really am not a fan of the hot foot in rough water... Maybe if I had a seatbelt to keep my arse on the seat, but with all the bouncing I find myself hitting the gas every time I come down hard. If you have cable steering I can see the benefit, but I have never had trouble driving my hydraulic steering in big water with one hand.

There is a lot of very good information in this thread. I have been boating for over 50 years and I have been in 8 to 9 foot swells in an 18 foot boat offshore way too many times. All I have to add is about throttle function in large waves. It is simple, the higher the waves the more you will have to throttle up to climb and throttle down to mush down the leeward (downwind) side of the wave so that you do not plumet down and speer the next wave and submarine your boat. So the higher the waves the more work it is to stay safe and make it to shore...dry in a following sea. An oncoming sea is a little easier but much rougher. Bow High and slow. Vary your speed, direction and bow height to acheave the best ride which is going to be much rougher than you will enjoy!!
Stay SAFE!!

I take 3-4' waves at a minor angle, say 5 to 10 degrees. This is because I am in a flat nosed skiff. This boat will "sneeze" on you if go square to a wave. The sneeze is after you crest and when you start to climb next wave.
You do need a lot of throttle control as well. Work your speed so that your boat is climbing and rolling over top of wave. You do not want to bounce between them.
The 3' waves are the worst to me. Once they get a little bigger you have a longer trough and you can go a little faster.

My ex-GF freaked out when I went for the rough stuff as well, which is why she's my ex.

I fish the coast a lot so it's nothing unusual to encounter big waves, but it's the spacing between waves that's the killer. Long waves are not so bad, you can climb them and go around them, it's the short valleys that kill you.

All very good info. but I would like to add. Always make sure when you leave a spot and are going to be facing rough conditions, prepare. Rainsuits, goggles, put rods away, strap trolling motor down. The worst is getting out there and having a rod strap break or have something take your mind off what you are doing.If you have too stop in big water you can really get wet. One other thing that has helped me is too relax. It will keep you from being so sore the next day. I know it is difficult but it works.

got my baptism last summer in port A.

I have a pretty tough boat (22' hydrasports CC, deep V w/ a nice
"carolina"-style bow. It handles 4 footers easy.
that said, looking @ 6-7 footers coming directly at you as you leave the jetties had me pretty shook up, because I KNEW I was gonna have to turn around, stern to the sea. well, I remembered what a guide showed me in Freeport one time;
I motored hard to get on top of a swell, then backed off to stay on top of it, on the throttle big-time, but surfed that wave all the way back into the harbor! I was stoked!
but the secret regardless of boat, is go slow. no need to stay on plane if it's outside your capability, better safe than dead.
either go directly against or with em, and match speed.
Life jacket/ killswitch is a no-brainer.

I have read some really good information on the subject and as said before, the more you experience the waves, the more experienced you become. Angle and throttle manipulation is extremely important in big waves. Also, I would like to add that, It is very important to learn to manipulate waves, it is also very, very important to learn when the waves and conditions are more than you can handle. Learn when to wait it out. There is nothing worse than finding yourself in the middle of the lake and discover that you have underestimated the conditions. Be safe and include common sense into the equation and have a good time boating.

Just another two cents. I've got a lot of experiance fishing on the Chesapeake bay waves go from zero to an SOB in a hurry. 4 to 6 foot or more are frequent although I personally would run and hide if they got more than that. 45 degrees to the waves is generally the best and most accepted way to run big water. Running straight into them is not good as pitchpoling is a distinct possibility. You may get a little wetter but its better than swimming.