Where Sig Hansen Draws The Line On Dangerous Deadliest Catch Weather

"Deadliest Catch" might divide fans on occasion, but on the whole, the Discovery Channel show is a pretty fine example of a reality show that's actually real. As groups of crab fishermen leave Dutch Harbor to brave weather that's bad enough to make "Deadliest Catch" stars seasick, the show can be hard to watch without wondering how the merciless sea treats the various fishing vessels and their plucky crews in this particular episode. 

Though the show is full of rough seas and salty sprays of the sort that make you feel sorry for the stars and the camera crew alike, there are still some lines "Deadliest Catch" isn't willing to cross. In fact, even Sig Hansen — the captain of F/V Northwestern and one of the most familiar faces in the show — won't brave just any kind of weather. Here's where Hansen draws the line on dangerous "Deadliest Catch" weather.

Sig Hansen shared his views on weather in an interview with New Zealand's The Fishing Website, and as any fan of "Deadliest Catch" can probably guess, the experienced crab fishing boat captain has a fairly different opinion of dangerous weather than your average landlubber might have.  

"40 or 50 knots is pretty normal, and I'll fish through 60 or 70 knots, depending on the wave heights, then we will really have to take a look at it," he said. "But it's all in the eye of the beholder – my 50 knots may be your 60, if that is fair to say. We don't push the envelope; it depends on who is working the boat and how the seas are."

Hansen based his answer on the fact that he knows his boat and crew very well, which enables him to work in far more extreme conditions than the average Joe could. For reference, the highest wind speed he mentions there — 70 knots — translates to over 80 miles per hour, so it certainly takes far more than a light gust of wind to keep him ashore.