WHILE this weekend marks the beginning of the December festive season, the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) is urging public awareness about the full moon Spring Tide which peaks on Sunday, 3 December.
The NSRI said from about Thursday, 30 November, high tide and low tides will gradually start to increase in intensity, peaking on Sunday and then gradually declining in intensity until about Wednesday.
Spring Tide happens twice every month, at full moon and at new moon.
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“Spring Tides bring a higher than normal high tide and a lower than normal low tide, causing stronger than normal rip currents, for a few days leading up to the full moon or new moon, peaking on the day of the full moon or new moon,” explained NSRI spokesman, Craig Lambinon.
“There are two high tides and two low tides every day. During Spring Tide the twice daily high tides are higher than normal and the twice daily low tides are lower than normal and while rip currents are always present the Spring Tide creates stronger than normal rip currents. Bathers are at risk of being swept out to sea by rip currents while swimming or wading in water along the beach front. Even bathers wading in shallow water who find themselves trapped in a rip current that forms suddenly are at risk of being swept out to sea by rip currents.”
Lambinon urged beachgoers to swim at beaches only where lifeguards are on duty and obey the instructions of the lifeguards and only swim within the safe swimming zones lifeguards mark (using their red and yellow flags).
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