Beach Safety
In California, over the past couple of weeks we’ve had two separate tragedies on the Central Coast/Big Sur area where beachgoers lost their lives. These incidents are a reminder that even if you aren’t planning to go in the water, simply walking or hiking near the shoreline can carry real risk.
One danger is the terrain itself; rocks, cliffs, and dirt can collapse unexpectedly. But an even more common hazard is the arrival of a long-period wave set that catches people off guard.
These are sneaker waves.
Sneaker waves are unusually large waves generated by long-period swells that come from storms thousands of miles away. Because the Pacific is so wide, multiple swell systems can merge as they travel, forming powerful wave trains. These waves don’t appear from “nowhere,” but they often arrive after long stretches of smaller, calmer surf. Unless someone has been watching the ocean for 20–30 minutes, the larger waves in the set can feel completely unexpected.
When a sneaker wave hits, it can surge much farther up the beach or crash over rocks where people are standing. It can knock someone down or pull them into the surf with strong backwash; this is the force of the water returning to sea. Backwash is often mistakenly called “undertow,” but there is no current at the beach that drags a person downward and holds them under.
Once a person is in the water, the danger increases. Higher-energy waves raise the likelihood of rip currents forming; rip currents can rapidly pull someone away from shore. They don’t pull a person under, but they can move someone offshore so quickly that returning becomes extremely difficult.
Cold water adds another layer of risk. Along the Central and Northern California coast, ocean temperatures typically hover around 50–55°F year-round. Sudden immersion in water this cold can trigger cold-water shock, an involuntary response that makes it hard to breathe, swim, or stay calm. Even strong swimmers can be overwhelmed immediately.
Together, these factors—long-period waves that can arrive unexpectedly to anyone who hasn’t been watching the ocean closely, unstable terrain, rip currents, and very cold water—create a hazardous environment.