High Surf continues to pound Central Coast

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KION) The coastal high surf advisory was extended through 9 p.m. Thursday night, which meant another day of great waves for experienced surfers.

“It’s been really consistent this year we’ve had back-to-back swells so that’s been fun,” Santa Cruz resident Steve Howells said.

“Yesterday was big, but today is the biggest I think. It's very strong powerful waves, and you have to be very careful out there,” Frank Barron said.

Barron, who's a regular surfer at Steamer Lane in Santa Cruz was scouting out the waves before going in the water for the afternoon. Sometimes people aren't careful and he's seen that lead to disaster.

“People that live here are usually a little bit more aware and have the experience. It’s usually those tourists like 'oh yeah surfing I can do that'. They probably could, but you have to take it slowly and progressively,” Barron said.

Thursday showed you didn’t have to be in the water to be effected by the massive waves. A woman's dog was swept into the ocean as they walked along Cowell Ranch State Beach in Half Moon Bay. She went out to try to save her dog, and ended up being washed two football fields into the Ocean. Harbor Patrol and Cal Fire rescued her, but she’s at the hospital in serious condition.

“If you go down to the beach, it's just really important you understand what the surf is doing that day and what the tides are doing specifically. If we have a low tide going high, that means the water energy is going to come up higher on the beach over those rocks a lot quicker and that’s what catches people off guard,” Santa Cruz County Lifeguard Supervisor Eddie Rhee-Pizano said.

Waves were expected to reach over 20 feet in some areas.

The National Weather Service said the High Surf Advisory ends 9 p.m. Thursday.