There are also dangers like sneaker logs. I love the coast and visit it when I can, but when you’re a kid growing up here they always teach you “Don’t turn your back to the ocean” because it has no pity and can and will straight up kill you.
"The coastline of Northern California, Oregon and Washington State are steep, tree lined, and have cold to frigid water temperatures. These beaches are quite unlike the flat, broad beaches of Southern California with their inviting warm water temperatures. The steep slopes of the Northwest’s coastlines are much more likely to cause sneaker waves; the trees that line the cliffs can wind up in the swift ocean currents running along the shoreline; while the cold to frigid temperatures, depending on the season, can induce cold water paralysis for anyone caught in these northwestern ocean waters.
While in Southern California people at the beach are in bathing suits or light summer clothes wading and swimming in warm waters with open beaches, in contrast in the North they wear heavier clothes, coats, shoes, and boots due to the cooler temperatures and in autumn and winter those waters are frigid. Encounters with the waves in Southern California, with its warm water temperatures and broad beaches, might simply knock a person over on the beach, but in the North the cold water temperatures could induce cold water paralysis rendering the individual helpless to escape the pull of the receding wave returning to the ocean.
Always respect the ocean on the beaches of the North Coast of California, Oregon, Washington with their steep, rugged tree lined coasts, and frigid ocean temperatures."
Makes sense. I did assume it was swimmable during the summer. I just figured it was like in Maine and New Hampshire where it was a short season. Do y’all ever get to swim anywhere besides pools? I’m a southern kid, I grew up swimming in lakes, rivers, the ocean. Just about everything but the swamps lol
Tons of rivers and lakes, but you still have to be careful. Generally folks are out on the first hot day of the year and forget the water is still 50°. LOL.
There’s this place called “High Rocks” and every year people are like “Well, start the clock until the first drowning…”
Jesus. Yeah, we get some drownings here, but nothing like that. There’s this one spot in the county I used to live in called the blue hole, where the water is always 45 degrees, and kids dare each other to jump in. They freeze up or cramp and drown.
It’s way, way too cold most of the year.
There are also dangers like sneaker logs. I love the coast and visit it when I can, but when you’re a kid growing up here they always teach you “Don’t turn your back to the ocean” because it has no pity and can and will straight up kill you.
https://www.weather.gov/safety/ripcurrent-waves
"The coastline of Northern California, Oregon and Washington State are steep, tree lined, and have cold to frigid water temperatures. These beaches are quite unlike the flat, broad beaches of Southern California with their inviting warm water temperatures. The steep slopes of the Northwest’s coastlines are much more likely to cause sneaker waves; the trees that line the cliffs can wind up in the swift ocean currents running along the shoreline; while the cold to frigid temperatures, depending on the season, can induce cold water paralysis for anyone caught in these northwestern ocean waters.
While in Southern California people at the beach are in bathing suits or light summer clothes wading and swimming in warm waters with open beaches, in contrast in the North they wear heavier clothes, coats, shoes, and boots due to the cooler temperatures and in autumn and winter those waters are frigid. Encounters with the waves in Southern California, with its warm water temperatures and broad beaches, might simply knock a person over on the beach, but in the North the cold water temperatures could induce cold water paralysis rendering the individual helpless to escape the pull of the receding wave returning to the ocean.
Always respect the ocean on the beaches of the North Coast of California, Oregon, Washington with their steep, rugged tree lined coasts, and frigid ocean temperatures."
Makes sense. I did assume it was swimmable during the summer. I just figured it was like in Maine and New Hampshire where it was a short season. Do y’all ever get to swim anywhere besides pools? I’m a southern kid, I grew up swimming in lakes, rivers, the ocean. Just about everything but the swamps lol
Tons of rivers and lakes, but you still have to be careful. Generally folks are out on the first hot day of the year and forget the water is still 50°. LOL.
There’s this place called “High Rocks” and every year people are like “Well, start the clock until the first drowning…”
https://www.oregonlive.com/clackamascounty/2024/03/how-a-landlocked-oregon-county-was-named-most-dangerous-in-us-for-beachgoers.html
Jesus. Yeah, we get some drownings here, but nothing like that. There’s this one spot in the county I used to live in called the blue hole, where the water is always 45 degrees, and kids dare each other to jump in. They freeze up or cramp and drown.