that i was kind of one of the most dangerous hurdles. >> narrator: mark visser does it, rides one ofost terrifying waves in the world at night. >> i don't think i ever really realized that i would be able to successfully ride that wave at night until it was well and truly over. >> narrator: but it's not enough. he goes out to try it again. >> i knew it wasn't over. i just knew i had to keep going. i did not want to catch one. i just wanted to see what i was made of. this time visser pushes further into the darkness. he rides a second and a third. >> just to give it all i got. >> narrator: he knows he is pushing his luck, but he can't help himself. visser wipes out. in a matter of seconds the wave could drown him or smash him into the cliff. he surfaces, the rescue jetski has only moments to get him to safety. >> a lot of friends, a lot of people said, you know, if i had just done one, i would have been just thrilled. to me it was such a big master. just so scared in that environment to actually call it off w -- pull it off was the best thing ever. >> massive industrial accidents lead

australian, mark visser, travels the world chasing big waves.more fearsome than those that break daily off the coast of maui. in winter, so threatening, the breaks have been nicknamed jaws. >> when you look at the big spots to choose from, jaws to me was the scariest. it breaks right into a cliff. >> for a risk-taker like visser, the cliff doesn't make it scary enough. he wants to push the envelope and takes on jaws at night. >> i was so terrified of it, and i really wanted to just see what i was made of. >> no one has ever tried it. many doubt it can even be done. >> all the best big wave riders tell us, you know, i don't think this is achievable. not something that someone can go and do. >> to pull this off, visser must paddle out alone, with sharks patrolling underneath. to top it off, he's none too fond of being in the dark. >> if i want to be less afraid of the dark, how am i going to do that? >> to get prepared for paddling at night alone, the team flies him and his surfboard offshore in a helicopter and drop him at sunset to sink or swim