Bonding?

Yesterday I witnessed some sort of ritual of which I am not familiar.
Three guys in a 20 ft boat were close to where we were anchored offshore. Two things came to mind.
They shouldn't have been out that far in a little boat, and, they shouldn't have been out that far in a little boat.

As their boat pitched and rolled in the swell that is always present in an offshore anchorage, I sipped my coffee, watched and listened.
They were holding thin sticks, or poles over the side of the boat. At one point, I could here the excitement in their voices as they all stared into the water, then like a choreographed dance, they all moved from on side of the boat to the other then back again, all the while it seemed that at any moment the movement of the boat would pitch all three into the deep blue water.

What is this, I asked myself. A cleansing ritual? A religious ceremony maybe?
Every so often I'd here something resembling a war cry from the three men, then more staring into the water, followed again by the line dance they do from bow to stern.

With the same facination Jacques Couteau must have had when he witnessed the mating ritual of the deep water sea urchin for the first time, I looked on, confused.

Suddenly they stopped and watched as one of their buddies seemed to be struggling with his pole, it was as if something was trying to pull him over the side. Then, it happened. I could tell when the ceremony was over because they all let out a woooop and then began their secret handshake that resembled high fives, fist bumps, and pats on the back. I don't know what they accomplished, but they seemed very satisfied with the outcome.

An like that, it was over. They started up the boat and motored away. Where were they headed now?