WESTERN CAPE. – The national sea rescue institute (NSRI) is warning beachgoers, anglers and coastal walkers to be extra careful this weekend, as a strong spring tide coincides with school holidays and Heritage Day long weekend.
Andrew Ingram, NSRI communications manager, says families heading to the coast during the holidays should plan their activities around local tide times. The full moon is Saturday 26 September at 18:48, with the greatest tidal differences usually occurring a day or two after. The strongest spring tide is therefore expected from approximately Saturday through Tuesday 29 September.
The spring tide follows shortly after the equinox on 23 September, when tides are often among the strongest of the year. Stronger rip currents, strong tidal flows at river mouths, harbour entrances and narrow inlets, as well as coastal paths that can be cut off by high water, pose extra dangers according to the NSRI.
Beachgoers are advised to swim only at beaches with lifeguards and between the flags, and to be extra careful when the tide is going out.
Anglers fishing from rocks must keep a safe distance from the water, wear a life jacket and bring something that can float and be thrown to someone in the water, such as an empty five-litre plastic bottle with a rope attached.
Walkers should plan their routes around high water, while boaters and rowers must always wear life jackets and keep their cellphones in a waterproof pouch. The NSRI also advises people not to consume alcohol before swimming, boating or fishing, to continuously supervise children near water, and to be careful at rivers, dams and lakes, especially after rain.
In an emergency, the NSRI's Emergency Operations Centre can be contacted at 087 094 9774 or 112 from a cellphone.
This article is an automatic English translation of a Nuusflits article originally published in Afrikaans. Read the Afrikaans original.
