Dangerous waters expected on Monterey County beaches

Hurricanes aren’t something we need to worry about here on the Central Coast, but violent waves off our coasts can often be something to watch out for.

This week, beach goers in Monterey County will need to be extra cautious with waves expected to be incredibly rough.

The National Weather Service says a long-period northwest swell will drastically affect the waves on beaches throughout many parts of California, from Monterey County all the way up to Sonoma County. That means beach goers can expect increased rip current risk, large shore break, and sneaker waves, which are abnormally large waves that blend in with a train of other waves. Beaches expected to be seriously affected are those that face northwest, and locally include Asilomar State Beach and Marina State Beach. One mother at Asilomar is playing it safe with her daughter.

“If the waves did get big, yeah we would not go in the water because we’re not going to put our safety, you know, our safety’s first basically. So we’re gonna have to stay outside the water,” said beach goer Laura Tirado.

This long-period swell is expected to last Tuesday until Thursday night, with the largest wave-sets expected to reach eight-to-ten feet. For the surfers out there going a little deeper, breakers could reach heights of up to 20 feet.

And as mentioned, strong rip currents will be present and are always a danger to pull swimmers into deep, rough water. If you feel like you’re being pulled in by one, remember to swim to the right or left of shore and not directly towards it.