By Staff
Beginning in early December, officials from the National Weather Service have issued statements regarding the risk and probability of sneaker waves along the California coast. The beach hazard statement released by the NWS included beaches such as Point Reyes, the San Francisco bay, and the Monterey Peninsula. The statement advised people in the area to stay out of water, avoid steep beaches, and stay off of rocks and jetties.
Sneaker waves are waves that surge further up the beach than expected. These waves are especially powerful and are known to be able to knock people over, move heavy logs, and sweep other debris out to sea.
Part of what makes sneaker waves so dangerous is their discrete nature before falling. It is almost impossible to determine a sneaker wave before it has already crept hundreds of feet past the previous wave’s crashing point. This can be especially threatening to people on shore, as these waves can go as high as the waist, dragging anything or anyone on shore off into the water.
Sneaker waves form due to offshore storms creating surges of waves that travel to shore. With these waves being so dangerous and unpredictable, the National Weather Service urges people to side with caution when it comes to beach activities for the next few days. The best way to avoid these malicious waves is to keep up to date with the NWS forecasts as well as to keep a safe distance from shore during this season, when sneaker waves are especially common.
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