"Storm Surfers 3D" follows legendary professional surfers Tom Carroll and Ross Clarke-Jones on their quest to ride big waves in previously unridden breaks.

Narrated by Australian actress Toni Collette and directed by surf-film veterans Justin McMillan and Chris Nelius, the film serves up the necessary surfing shots in three dimensions but also presents a human side to its larger-than-life protagonists.

‘STORM SURFERS 3D’ Not rated Opens today at Ward Stadium

Carroll and Clarke-Jones are almost Ahab-like in their continuing hunt for mythical waves during the winter season in the southern ocean. Using personal watercraft to pull themselves out into the deep-blue sea, the pair obsessively surf big waves at the very real risk of losing their lives. (Both men are in their 40s and very much aware of it.) Like skydivers, rock climbers and other extreme thrill seekers, their passion seems to become less and less about surfing and more about the adrenaline rush.

Although most of the action takes place around Australia, Oahu’s Pipeline on the North Shore garners an appearance along with 11-time world champion Kelly Slater. Slater is there to describe Carroll as one of the best to surf Pipeline, and it’s the film’s concentration on character that is most compelling. We get to know Clarke-Jones and Carroll as people, not just athletes, and their dangerous enthusiasm is almost as fascinating as their sport.

"It’s not how ripped your abs are or how much you bench-press," says Clarke-Jones about the requirements of his sport. "I think it’s about your nerves."

The filmmakers also treat the waves as characters, with some given demonic personalities — especially the climactic swell known as "Turtle Dove." It’s roughly 47 miles out to sea and no one has ever surfed it.

The 3-D cinematic effects are not quite as groundbreaking as advertised in the trailer. Yes, splashes send droplets flying out of the screen but most of the 3-D effects are subtler: A certain sense of perspective is given with the surfer superimposed against a rolling barrel, but that’s about it. One gets the feeling the images of these giant, monster waves would be bettered served by highlighting their natural shimmering blues and rich greens without the darkening of images that results from 3-D’s lower light levels.

Still, the spectacle of being thrown from a surfboard and pounded by a roaring avalanche of white water is nerve-wracking in any filmed format, and "Storm Surfers" effectively delivers this visceral scare.

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Surf legends Tom Carroll and Ross Clarke-Jones will appear at the 7 and 10 p.m. screenings today.