Avoid California Beaches Because of Dangerous Waves, Officials Warn

A day after a man was swept to his death beneath ocean debris and another went missing along California’s coast, officials issued a warning on Tuesday for people to avoid many of the state’s beaches due to unusually intense surf conditions just before the holidays.

The powerful Pacific Ocean waves on Monday also led to the partial collapse of a historic wooden pier in Santa Cruz, California, which caused three people and a large bathroom structure to fall into the sea. The individuals were rescued without serious injuries, according to the city’s mayor.https://wordpress.com/

California’s beaches were pounded by waves up to 40 feet high on Monday, with even larger swells in certain spots, such as the Mavericks surf break near Half Moon Bay, 15 miles south of San Francisco, which is known for its massive waves.

The National Weather Service extended a high surf warning until 6 p.m. Pacific time on Tuesday for coastal areas from Sonoma County to Monterey Bay. A similar warning was in effect through midday for Central and Southern California.

“Large waves will continue to create hazardous conditions throughout the day,” the agency warned in its forecast.

The rough surf was triggered by a powerful storm that developed in the western Pacific Ocean.

“We tracked and predicted the storm that generated this swell,” said James Clark, a marine forecaster with the Ocean Prediction Center. “It was nearly a record-breaking storm that peaked near the international date line, northwest of Hawaii.”

The same storm also sent massive waves to Hawaii, enabling the Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational, a prestigious international surfing competition, to take place at Waimea Bay on Oahu on Sunday. This rare event is only held when conditions are perfect.

Fueled by hurricane-strength winds, the storm stirred up ocean waters before moving across British Columbia, according to Roger Gass, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Monterey.

“We expect treacherous wave conditions to persist for much of the week,” Gass said.

Mark Sponsler, a surfer based in San Francisco who runs Stormsurf, described Monday’s surf as dangerously powerful. He said he surfed near Pacifica, south of San Francisco.

“It was like small tidal waves coming in,” Sponsler recalled. “The entire bay would drain out, and then a massive wave would roll in. The whole bay was undulating in and out. We lasted only 15 minutes before deciding it was too dangerous.”

On Monday, a man died after being caught by debris at Sunset State Beach, about 15 miles southeast of Santa Cruz. In the Monterey Bay area, a man went missing after being overwhelmed by the high surf at Marina State Beach. Authorities had to call off the search when conditions became too dangerous, according to the Marina Police Department.

Recent storms have produced powerful swells near Santa Cruz and Monterey. Nearly two years ago, similar conditions caused waves to flood beach towns, damaging the Seacliff State Beach pier beyond repair.

Officials advised people, particularly inexperienced swimmers, to stay out of the ocean wherever possible in affected areas, according to Joe Sirar, a meteorologist at the Weather Service in Oxnard, which covers Los Angeles.

“High surf can be unpredictable,” Sirar said. “It may look like normal waves one moment, and then suddenly a large one comes in and sweeps people off jetties.”