Replies

Not only the elderly, ANYBODY. The linked video is very close to what is seen all the time on the Pacific coast north of the arch at Cabo San Lucas. We stayed at a resort there in walking distance of the arches, “Playa Grande.” They had big signs, like 4X8 feet, every 100 yards or so.

PELIGRO! DANGER! UNDERTOW! DO NOT SWIM! DO NOT WADE! SEVERE DROWNING RISK!

With cartoons of people being pounded and drowning under massive “beach break” waves. The problem is the very steep beach gradient. The waves don’t break “out there,” but the swell comes all the way in to what was “wading depth,” and then BAMMO! Suddenly there is mountainous plunging wave coming down on your head. This enormous volume of instant water then rushes right down that steep gradient, taking you with it. It’s extremely dangerous. The resort had excellent pools, but we were constantly advised “Don’t even put your ankles in that ocean water!” And then to back it up, they had the world’s scariest “NO SWIMMING! DANGER!” signs spaced along the beach.

But if you walk past the resorts south to the arches, there are no more signs. The beach is safer from the arches around to the resorts facing southward, but they are still dangerous.

But north of the arches, facing west to the open Pacific, that plunging beach break can literally kill you, either breaking your spine as you are slammed, and / or dragging your body down the extremely steep beach and drowning you.

I am an old Navy SEAL and I’ve been in plenty of big surf, but that plunging beach break would kill anybody.