Surfing Safety

Don't forget
Mexican auto insurance: Get it in the U.S. at an AAA office, or at one of the insurance stores off I-5 in San Ysidro.

Money: US dollars are accepted everywhere.

Food and water: At least until you're back on the highway, you'll want to quickly quell post-surf hunger

Waves & Currents Waves are caused by wind blowing over the surface of the ocean. The longer, stronger and further it blows, the bigger the waves will be.

There are three kinds of waves
Shore Dump - Where waves break with force and usually occur where sandbanks are shallow, especially at low tide (also high tide at fistral). It can be dangerous to surf in these waves. They are a common cause of broken limbs and back injuries, take care!

Spilling Waves - The crest of a spilling wave tumbles down the face. If the sandbank where it breaks is shallow, the spilling crest will form a 'tube'. These are the best waves for body surfing.

Surging Waves - These never break, because the water beneath them is deep, but they can knock people off their feet and drag them back out.

Rip Currents
A rip is a strong current running out to sea. Rips are the cause of most rescues performed at beaches. A rip usually occurs when a channel forms between the shore and a sandbar, and large waves have built up water which then returns to sea, causing a drag effect. The larger the surf, the stronger the rip. Rips are dangerous as they can carry a weak or tired swimmer out into deep water.

What do they look like?

The following features will alert you to the presence of a rip:
Darker color, indicating deeper water murky brown water caused by sand stirred up off the bottom smoother surface with much smaller waves, alongside white water (broken waves) waves breaking further out to sea on both sides of the rip debris floating out to sea a rippled look, when the water around is generally calm.

What do I do if I get caught in a rip?

If you are caught in a rip:
Don't Panic - stay calm. If you are a strong swimmer, swim at a 45 degree angle across the rip and in the same direction as the current until you reach the breaking wave zone, then return to shore If you are a weak or tired swimmer, float with the current, don't fight it. Swim parallel to the shore for about 30 - 40m until you reach the breaking wave zone, then swim back to shore or signal for help. Remember to stay calm and conserve your energy.