Ferry rides big wave in Hawaii before running aground

There were heart-stopping scenes in Hawaii when a passenger ferry was caught out by wild waves with surfers racing to paddle out of its path.

But the 15-metre vessel held its own, riding one of Waikiki's most popular breaks, Kewalos, before running aground on a nearby reef.

The boat, operated by Atlantis Adventures, is used to transport guests to and from a local dive site.

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There were no guests hanging 10, just two crew members holding on as the ferry carved the unusually high surf.

"I'm just really grateful that nobody was hurt in terms of any of the surfers out on the water, hopefully they didn't cause damage to the reef," Maliny Soukkhasen, board member of the Friends of Kewalo, said.

The US Coast Guard was called in as tourists watched

It made for a memorable day out on the waves that at least the surfers won't be wanting to repeat anytime soon.