King tides are hitting San Diego beaches this week, but lifeguards say the conditions are less concerning than usual because the king tides are not accompanied by high surf. Meanwhile, the City of San Diego says lower coastal inland areas should be prepared for coastal flooding with King Tides.
King tides are shifts in sea level that produce higher high tides and lower low tides. They are created by the gravitational pull of the moon when it is closer to the Earth. Surf, by contrast, refers to wave activity.
"Surf is ... a bigger push from the ocean," Lieutenant Ryan Foster with San Diego Fire Lifeguard Division said, "Big waves, big rip currents, with the high surf comes long high-period intervals of waves."
Lifeguards are keeping an eye on conditions beyond this week, however.
"We're watching the surf for next week," Foster said.
The National Weather Service has rated the rip current risk as high for San Diego. Beachgoers are encouraged to swim near a lifeguard tower and know their limits, especially when hiking near the ocean.
King tide conditions are expected to peak Monday night and last into Tuesday, with high heat lasting through the week.
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