Southern California is currently under a beach hazard warning, with officials urging extreme caution due to large waves and dangerous rip currents. The warning is in effect across Ventura County, the Malibu coast, Los Angeles County beaches, and Orange County, extending south to San Diego County and including the Catalina and Santa Barbara islands.
The National Weather Service (NWS) advisory is set to remain active through Wednesday, July 29, at 5 p.m. The NWS Los Angeles office posted on X that a southerly swell is generating strong, dangerous rip currents and elevated to high surf, particularly for Ventura and Los Angeles counties. They advised that individuals caught in a rip current should swim parallel to the shoreline to escape before swimming at an angle toward shore.
Waves are expected to be between 3 and 6 feet, creating powerful rip currents that pose a high risk of drowning, even for experienced swimmers. The NWS also noted the potential for minor coastal flooding during evening high tides, which are expected to peak between Wednesday and Thursday. Breaking waves could sweep people off jetties and docks into the sea, and there is a heightened risk of drowning and injuries from large waves. While significant structural damage is not anticipated, authorities are concerned about swimmers being pulled out to sea.
Lifeguards along the Southern California coast are on high alert. This warning follows a recent rescue in Santa Cruz where a 16-year-old lifeguard saved a young swimmer from powerful waves. Los Angeles County lifeguards reported a significant increase in water rescues over the past week, with nearly 2,000 rescues compared to the typical summer weekend average of 200 to 300.
Local authorities are recommending that beachgoers stay near lifeguard-protected areas and consider avoiding the water entirely during peak surf hours until conditions improve on Wednesday evening. They also warned that breaking waves could sweep people off jetties and docks.