Big tides adding to top lifeguard’s fear
A HUGE tidal variance on one of the year’s most popular beach days has the city’s lifesaving fraternity primed for action.
Thousands of people are expected to seek refuge from a steamy New Year’s Day at the city’s beaches and creeks before a likely afternoon thunderstorm breaks the heat.
Before then, however, lifeguards and lifesavers will be on alert as a 7.30am high tide of 1.8m drops to a low of 0.1m at 1.53pm.
“We get a few of these big tidal variances each year but when they coincide with the Christmas or New Year period, we need to be ready because there are so many people in the water,” chief lifeguard Warren Young said.
“The water is going to be really rushing out from midmorning ... that outgoing tide has kept lifeguards and lifesavers pretty busy during the past week and that’ll be the case again.”
Mr Young said the increased
flow of water had the potential to create danger at the mouths of Currumbin and Tallebudgera creeks, while beach rips will also be more pronounced.
“Surf conditions aren’t too bad but you will get some rips that really accelerate,” he said.
“And when you get a 1.8m tide in the (creeks), the water is going to be running at its strongest and fastest near the mouths.
“People need to be cautious and stay well downstream.”
The warning comes after the Bulletin revealed rescues
from the deceptively calm waters of Tallebudgera Creek have rocketed compared to last year and a week after the Christmas Day rip drowning of Indian student Ravneet Singh Gill at Duranbah.
“We really noticed the rips were flowing a lot today,” said Brisbane holiday-maker Lochie Paterson, who was enjoying the surf of Broadbeach with partner Catherine Van.
“It definitely gives you more motivation to swim between the flags.”
Mr Young said: “There were several rescues towards that low tide (on Saturday) ... but a lot of people are doing the right thing and swimming between the flags.”
Many people’s desire to hit the beach has been prompted by humid conditions that are expected to remain for the next couple of days.
“Days and evenings will feel a couple of degrees warmer (than 31C and 23C) because there’s so much moisture and cloud around,” Weatherzone senior meteorologist Jacob Cronje said.
“We’re going to have similar conditions until midweek – light showers throughout the day and a high possibility of severe thunderstorms in the afternoon – before it becomes more sunny towards next weekend.”