This week, beaches along the Central Coast will not only see King Tides but high surf as well.
King Tides are a natural phenomenon when drastic changes occur in ocean water levels leading to both very high tides and very low tides.
“They’re associated with how the Earth is positioned with the sun and the moon. So when the sun, moon and earth are in alignment, we typically see King Tides, also known as spring tides,” explained Melodie Grubbs, Morro Bay National Estuary Program Executive Director.
Some people take the low tides as an opportunity to see the tide pools; however, the U.S. Coast Guard says you still need to be cautious as high waves can still occur during low tide.
“[The] biggest awareness to be had is there’s a huge swing so just like the water goes out and tide pools are exposed, bigger waves are going to be coming in and that’s going to take out that area where people might be exploring,” said Enrique Lemos, U.S. Coast Guard Morro Bay Station Operations Petty Officer.
Lemos says anyone planning to surf the high waves should always be on alert. But it’s not just surfers who should be cautious.
“People like to cross the harbor here to paddleboard and anything like that. The speed of the current is going to be going a lot faster so more potential of getting sucked out, essentially,” Lemos said.
He says the Coast Guard will typically have a boat by the harbor entrance monitoring the water during events like King Tides.
“Any people getting sucked out or carried out by the current, we’re out there. We also try to go and update conditions more often. We have a sign over by the boat ramp where we can put out conditions,” Lemos said.
It’s also important to note that the lifeguard towers at the beach by Morro Rock are not staffed in the winter.
