The North Pacific and Caribbean Coast are on Alert
Large waves are expected to continue to disrupt seafaring travel plans from Salinas Bay to the Gulf of Nicoya and in the Province of Limón, Costa Rica.
The surfers may be applauding the recent surges that have been prolific along the coasts, but the sailors, swimmers and travelers could be feeling that they are missing out on the fun. The waves and winds are strong enough to be causing some problems for boats, and making swimming conditions difficult even for advanced swimmers. Some of the waves further from shore are reaching heights upwards of 11 feet (3.35 meters).
The kite surfers around Salinas Bay will likely be in a good frame of mind with plenty of wind to propel them through the sea. The area around the northwest of Costa Rica in the Guanacaste Province is expected to see winds with speeds as high as 33 knots. This increase in wind velocity will also affect wave swell, and as far inland as Lake Arenal the waves will see an increase in height and force from the wind.
Rip currents will be one of the main factors causing problems for swimmers, and safety in regards to entering the ocean will need to be taken seriously. Along the shoreline, waves are expected to stay under 7 feet (about 2 meters) on the Pacific side. For the Caribbean coast and the Province of Limón, waves are expected to reach heights of over 8 feet (2.5 meters). Alerts have been sent out along both coasts by CIMAR or Costa Rica’s Center for Research in Marine Sciences and Limnology (El Centro de Investigación en Ciencias del Mar y Limnología).
Winds are expected to be strongest in the northwest on Wednesday, January 28th, 2015, and will result in choppy waters in the Gulf of Nicoya, the northern area of Puntarenas and Cabo Blanco. Thirty-five homes, a number of local business and the market all received flooding last weekend in Puntarenas, and marine officers rescued three passengers from a boat that capsized due to the winds and swell on Monday.
Caution is advised for all beachgoers, mariners and vacationers that will be in these areas over the next few days. The wind and waves are not expected to show a significant decrease in force until the end of the upcoming weekend.
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