PLEASURE POINT — High temps, high surf and high tide collided in a flurry of water rescues around noon Wednesday.
“We’re busy,” Central Fire Protection District Division Chief Scott Cullen was quick to summarize while parked out at East Cliff Drive and 36th Avenue between back-to-back calls.
Nearby, cliff spectators nearly outnumbered surfers taking their chances against monster waves in the distance. The day was the first of a projected minor two-day heat wave, where coastal Bay Area and Central Coast areas were forecast to see daytime temperatures in the upper 80s to mid-90s through Thursday.
In advance of what is expected to be a long four-day swell, the National Weather Service issued a beach hazard statement stretching from Point Reyes south to Big Sur, warning those hitting the beaches of an increased threat of sneaker waves and current activity. Out on the water, powered by a west-northwest swell, large breaking waves in the 12-foot range were expected to peak Thursday and Friday, according to the Santa Cruz Port District’s harbormaster. Harbor authorities warned visitors and boaters that powerful surge conditions were expected in the harbor, in addition to breaking surf at the entrance. Officials urged the public to use caution at all times when underway, aboard their vessels or dockside.
Calls keep agencies running
Between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Wednesday, Central Fire — along with State Parks rescue swimmers, American Medical Response and the Santa Cruz Harbor Patrol — responded to six water rescue calls, several of which involved offering assistance to more than one person. At the time, Cullen said none of the rescuees had been injured and that he expected Thursday’s swell to have an even larger impact.
“Most people can’t negotiate getting out of the water,” Cullen said of the spike in calls. “It’s the combination of the big surf and the high tide.”
Retired senior deputy harbormaster Don Kinnamon, whose last name graces the Santa Cruz Small Craft Harbor’s newest patrol boat that was visible on the horizon, said he thought surfers needed to study the tides and swell conditions and make better decisions.
“I think they oughta charge these people they’re rescuing because the decisions they’re making are terrible,” Kinnamon said, watching the water from the clifftop. “They go out on a high tide and then they try to get in where there’s no spots to paddle in, there’s no places they can get in, and then you’ve got multiple agencies that have to respond.”
Weighing danger vs. thrill
As the Santa Cruz Fire Department posted to its social media this week, “High tides, large waves and powerful currents. Not for beginners!” The department’s post also recommended that surfers “exercise extreme caution, stay within your limits and know your exit points out of the water.”
Two surfers who later described themselves as beginners from Santa Cruz County could be seen visibly fighting the riptide as they paddled toward the stairway at East Cliff and 36th Avenue and large boulders lining the cliffs. They told the Sentinel that rescue swimmers riding a State Parks’ watercraft were “super supportive” and had approached them and offered assistance, which they refused.
They credited their successful return to shore with saving energy, patiently waiting to approach a better beach exit after some initial trouble, and having endurance built from winter sports. The two also suggested that surfers be sure to hydrate and fuel prior to going out, so as to have energy when they needed to fight the waves.
“Truly exciting stuff is going to involve some danger,” said one of the pair, who identified himself only as Miles. “It’s exciting but there’s also a nervous anxiety side to it and if you don’t feel confident — it’s a balance. I didn’t have 100% confidence today, but maybe if I’d been more afraid, then maybe I would have been like, it’s not my day.”
