High Surf — San Francisco Peninsula Coast, California

2023-12-28 · San Francisco Peninsula Coast, California

Event narrative

A surfer was reported in distress at Linda Del Mar beach near Pacifica, and made their way back to shore with the help of the Coast Guard.

Wider weather episode

Very high surf caused by swell from north Pacific lows led to coastal flooding and damage across the Pacific coast of the San Francisco Bay Area and Central Coast. The Bodega Bay buoy reported a significant wave height of 28 ft at 4:20 AM. The Point Sur buoy reported a significant wave height of 29 ft at 6:30 AM. The Carmel Lagoon gage peaked at 12.02 ft around 4 PM. A Coastal Flood Warning and a High Surf Warning were in effect for the day.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1146547. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.