I was an avionics tech/systems QA on the EA-6B and flew in the back seat quite a few times (including carrier takeoff/landing) during my USN time. It used the PW J52-P408(A), which is basically a modified cruise missile engine. Talk about a brick with NOT enough power! Wouldn't break the sound barrier, but still louder than anything else I've heard. Two ruptured ear drums and tinnitus later, I still miss that old turd.
The angle of the engines could throw you across the flight deck very, very easily when the cat hit. The trick was leaning your back towards the jet blast and letting it pick you back up as you ran away.
https://youtu.be/OFA4WVnPr-YA "very experienced" shore-duty PO1 didn't listen to me and ended up rolling onto the JBD (jet blast deflector).