How to stay safe in the water as temperatures rise on the Central Coast

As the heat ramps up, officials are urging caution when you head to the beach.

Scott Rowe with the National Weather Service says, “Rip currents can occur any day in California. Especially along steep beaches.”

Rip currents have to ability to take you from simply playing in the shore break, to 100ft out in the ocean.

For most people, rip currents can be a scary thing. Julie Schnitzer got caught in one a while back. “Well panic set in right away. I kind of lost control of where I was going and got yanked in different directions.”

The number one thing you can do in this situation is remain calm. By doing this, you save your energy and breath. The next step is to swim parallel to shore. Once you are out of the current, you can swim to shore.

The other thing to take into consideration is the water temperature. Central Coast water temperatures are in the upper 50’s. If you get swept out without a wetsuit, you risk hypothermia.

Like anything, it’s best to just best to have a plan, know before you go, and swim with a friend if you can.