Public Service Message - Rogue Waves

Don't play in the surf. Unless David Hasselhoff and his cadre of fake tans and red swim wear is watching over you, don't play in the surf. Every couple of years some happy family driving home from Disneyland stops at one of our local beaches here on the Pacific Northwest, and they end up short some members. It breaks my heart. A few years ago it was an 8-year-old and his uncle who attempted to rescue him. A few months ago it was a 4-year-old and her mother's friend who again, attempted rescue. As heartened as I am by this heroism, I'd like better to never read about it in the paper ever again.

With few exceptions, our beaches are like... a cup, a cup that is almost full. It doesn't take much to make the water suddenly slop way farther up on the beach than you might expect. Other beaches are like a pan of water, you'd have to add a lot of ommph to get the water level to go up much. So, play well back when you are in unfamiliar territory. Rogue waves can be about 3 times the size of regular, so check out the wet sand and then stay 3 times as far back, and remember that the ocean is like kindergarten, never, ever turn your back on it.