A coastal flood advisory and high surf advisory are in effect for San Luis Obispo County through Tuesday morning. While these advisories are fairly common for the region, Chief Meteorologist Dave Hovde explained that the combination of the two along with the incoming storm poses a risk to the public’s safety.
“Fifteen to 20 footers plus that high tide in the morning of 6.6 to 6 feet — you add those together, it’s a significant risk,” Hovde said.
That risk can be deadly for those unaccustomed to our region’s weather.
“We did have a fatality here based on coastal flooding. It was somebody from outside of the area. But yeah, when there’s a coastal flood advisory, when there’s a high surf advisory, don’t turn your back to the ocean. It can kill you,” Hovde said.
“I’ve lived in SLO since 2016. I’ve surfed Avila a lot and some of the other beaches,” said surfer Peter Depew.
Depew says that even as an experienced surfer, he has dealt with destructive waves, breaking his board while surfing nearby. He says the waves at Avila Beach are much smaller than neighboring beaches.
"So if Pismo is 10 to 12 [feet] today, Avila’s going to be 4 to 6 [feet],” Depew said.
For those who are less experienced with the region's waves, Hovde recommends the following:
- Keep your body facing the water while in close proximity to the beach (in case a rogue wave hits).
- Assume a far enough distance from the beach to avoid contact with the water.
