Surfing Waves

I was on a cruise once and was contemplating whether surfing open ocean waves was possible. For example could you sit out in the open ocean in the seas and catch a wave?

There are a couple of boards that are suitable for catching ocean waves. Down wind SUP boards and some of the foil boards.
Probably best as swell as opposed to waves........ waves as such are a response to bottom contours, swells if they are crest are either seriously big or having their tops blow over by a following wind.

Check out surfing on the Cortez Bank breaking waves on undersea mountains, cruise ships avoid these areas.

That brings to question if cruise ships can trim down the line on those open ocean swells. Maybe if enough passenger put pressure on the inside rail.

Windsurfing, kitesurfing, SUP, Foil boards, Tow in...or a regular surfboard in the right place for a little while maybe. There was a guy Mark Visser who wanted to ride open ocean waves and worked to organize an air drop into the middle of the ocean in an attempt to catch a 100 foot plus wave. He had a plane to air drop him and a crazy person and a surfboard and jet ski into the middle of the ocean when the satellite and buoy data showed 100 foot waves. They were going to arrange a ship to go pick them up. Unfortunately the crazy guy became sane and quit. I was following along his progress and hoping it would go down

Cortez bank did come to mind

However I meant specifically a standard short or longboard.

Can it be done?

If you are a good enough paddler and in the right place, sure it can be done but most likely easier on a longer board but the ride would most likely be short and then the shape of the swell will change and it won't keep the board moving forward anymore. People who paddle in paddle board races catch open ocean swells so it can be done. Open ocean swells are moving faster than waves that break on the shoreline so you would have to be a better paddler and then you have to catch the swell when it is in the right configuration with a steeper wall but generally the shape will change and you will be passed by on a normal surfboard. Cortez bank is not an open ocean swell. It is breaking over a pinnacle of shallow water.