Dangerous rip currents this Labor Day weekend

If you were at the beaches this Labor Day weekend on the Central Coast you probably saw a lot of other people there, and you probably noticed the rough surf. The National Weather Service issued a warning to swimmers. The Weather Service forecast high surf and strong rip currents. Conditions that have lifeguards in Capitola on edge. But with the big swells, some beach-goers see it as an opportunity to learn how to surf.

Matt Arthur owns a surf lessons company in Capitola and said he won’t let just anyone get up on a surf board.

“Depending on their answers to alot of our questions we’ll either send them out if they answer our questions to our satisafaction or we won’t send them out.” “We get a lot of parents with kids and the kids get boogie boards and we specifically tell them not to go across the front of the beach because we have head high to slightly overhead waves that are breaking almost on the sand,” said Arthur.

From Sunday to Tuesday waves are expected to reach highs of seven feet. The cause of these bigger waves is a large swell generated by a storm off the New Zealand coast, that’s moving towards California.

Arthur has the beginners on red surf boards and the waves were banging them up a bit Sunday. On Saturday, six swimmers had a rough time on East Cliff. They had to be rescued by jet ski after the currents made it impossible for them to reach shore.

“You’re going to have water rescues. You’ve got one of the busiest weekends on the Central Coast, you’re going to have a lot of people that don’t have a lot of experience combine that with the waves, the heat inland, people coming to the ocean, you’re going to have that,” said Arthur.

The surf instructor said there have been a couple minor rescues involving kids and rip currents, but Capitola resident, Alexandra Worden said she knows when to call it quits.

“We watched the waves and took in a couple, you took one big dunk (Worden told her daughter) and we decided we’ll wait until the tides are right for us,” said Worden.

Surf instructors suggest that boogie boarders keep along the sea wall to avoid rip currents. But for those who find themselves trapped in one Arthur said most importantly don’t panic.

“Let the current take you out don’t swim toward it. Let it take you out, drop you off then swim parallel to the beach and then find your way in,” said Arthur.