GALVESTON, Texas — Rough surf conditions are expected to continue on Galveston Island.
Red flag warnings are in effect and beach patrol leaders are encouraging people to be cautious if they’re out on the beach. Surfers and swimmers lined Galveston Beach near the 61st Street pier.
Many visitors to Galveston Island are carefully enjoying the conditions.
“It’s pretty wild," said Kit Ricard, a visitor from Dallas. "We’re definitely enjoying the waves and the sea spray. The sand hits a little hard.
Some families say they enjoyed the water on Monday before conditions changed.
“Yesterday it was increasingly getting a little worse,” David Walston from Louisville said. “ Waves were a little choppy though."
The Galveston Island Beach Patrol says they are watching strong rip currents near jetties and piers, iIssuing reminders to people that strong rip currents can pull even the most experienced swimmers deep into the water.
Non-swimmers and children are asked to stay out of the water.
“You really better not to go in at all today if you go to the beach," said Chief Peter Davis of the Galveston Island Beach Patrol. "We’re enforcing waist deep only throughout the day unless conditions get worse."
Davis expects to see fairly high tides, rain and winds throughout the next few days. His lifeguards will be ready to assist swimmers, if they choose to enter the water.
“These storms are dangerous, even a smaller thing like this I would be careful about entering the water period,” Davis said.
Davis also believes conditions are not great for surfing, and novice surfers should not try to learn in these conditions.