Cape Town – The NSRI has warned bathers and anglers around the coast that from Monday, high tide will gradually get higher than normal and low tide will gradually retreat to lower than normal, leading up to the peak of the full moon spring tide on Friday.
The NSRI said rip currents could be stronger in places during a spring tide.
“Bathers and shoreline anglers around the coast will notice that from today the high tide will gradually get higher than normal and low tide will gradually retreat to lower than normal leading up to the peak of the full moon spring tide on the January 6 – a full-moon micro moon.” This is when the moon is at its farthest point from Earth.
“The concern is that coastal bathers and shoreline anglers who are not aware of the full moon (and new moon) spring tides will be caught off guard,” the NSRI said.
“We are appealing to coastal bathers and shoreline anglers to be cautious and bathers should only swim at beaches protected by lifeguards, swim in between the safe swimming areas lifeguards post using their red and yellow flags.”
Meanwhile, the NSRI said its Strandfontein crew assisted City of Cape Town lifeguards at Muizenberg Beach where hundreds of bathers were at risk as the tide changed on Sunday.
NSRI Strandfontein used a rescue craft to assist the lifeguards until the bathers were out of danger.
Cape Times