Weather officials are warning beachgoers in Southern California this week that a massive southern swell is creating large waves that may tempt experienced surfers — but which also may sweep unsuspecting swimmers out to sea in rip currents.
The National Weather Service has issued surf advisories from Ventura County in the north to San Diego County in the south, predicting “Large breaking waves of 4 to 7 feet with dangerous rip currents.”
The waves are the result of a storm in New Zealand that has already sent the largest waves in decades to Hawaii.
While some surfers are rushing to take advantage of the swell, others are opting to stay away.
The San Diego Union-Tribune reported:
“The time between wave peaks has been up to 20 seconds, which is the longest period I’ve seen in years,” said Mark Moede, a weather service forecaster. “That shows that this is a swell from the southern hemisphere.”
Surfline.com and other surf outlets reported that the swell first produced massive waves last week at Teahupoo, Tahiti, which is widely considered to be one of the most dangerous surf spots in the world. The swell rolled on and generated surf that reached 25 feet over the weekend in the Diamond Head area of Oahu, Hawaii. KHON-TV said the waves were the largest to hit that area in more than 25 years.
Moede said that San Diego County beaches that face the southwest will take the biggest beating from the incoming swell. Dangerous rip currents are expected up and down the coast.
The waves began hitting beaches Monday; the high surf advisory will last through Thursday morning at 11 a.m.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of the recent e-book, Neither Free nor Fair: The 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. His recent book, RED NOVEMBER, tells the story of the 2020 Democratic presidential primary from a conservative perspective. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.