OCEANSIDE, Calif. (KGTV) — July brought big waves and strong rip currents to Southern California's coast, and local surf schools felt the impact.
Cory Whitlock has been teaching surfing in Oceanside for more than 20 years. He said the combination of inland heat and coastal conditions created a surge in demand.
"It's impacted us because everybody wants to go surfing," Whitlock said.
With temperatures soaring inland, visitors from across the region made their way to the coast.
"So you know, with the high heat, you know, we have a lot of people coming from the inland areas, Arizona, Utah, we're a major destination vacation for those families," Whitlock said.
That influx brought plenty of first-time surfers face-to-face with conditions beyond their skill level. Some who rented harder and shorter boards quickly reconsidered.
"He comes walking up to me with his tail between his legs going, Can I get the foam board?" Whitlock said.
In July alone, 19 days carried warnings for stronger rip currents and waves. To keep beginners safe, Whitlock conducts lessons near the jetty rather than the pier — a spot he waited years to secure.
"I was on the waiting list for 7 years to get this location," Whitlock said. "And it has the best flat sandy bottom, so there's not a lot of rocks, not a lot of big trenches, so it's very safe for beginners.”
