Central Florida beaches preparing for rough surf due to Hurricane Fiona
A big and rough surf will be a concern along Central Florida beaches the next few days. The cause is Hurricane Fiona.
Volusia County Beach Safety officials are warning swimmers to stay near open lifeguard towers.
"That would scare me and I love the water. I love to scuba, I love to snorkel. That would scare me," Connie Slak, a beach visitor, said.
Visitors from Wisconsin make good sense because it's a scary surf 4-6 right now and still building due to that distant hurricane.
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"They went out on the jet ski and they were trying to tell everybody, 'Hey, you got to come back. It's just too rough right now, it's not safe,'" Julie Williams, a beach visitor said.
"It could be very dangerous," Tammy Malphurs, of Volusia County Beach Safety, said.
Beach Safety is sending the same message through the weekend, which is that the waves are currently very powerful.
"This kind of surf will slam you into the ground. It can cause injuries if you're not experienced. We do ask you not to go out there," Malphurs said.
Even when the waves calm down by the weekend, the threat of rip currents will not only continue, it will be worse.
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"Heavy surf is putting holes in the sandbars and then when we go into the weekend, those rip current conditions will be stronger," Malphurs said.
In addition to the rough seas, Beach Safety said they're starting to get reports of jellyfish stings, specifically the man o' war.
They're not washing up on the beach, at least not yet, but they are in the shallow water.
While not great for swimming, the ocean conditions are a bonus for treasure hunters.
"They say it's the only hobby that pays for itself," Wayne Schutts, a treasure hunter, said.
The churned-up sea might bring up something precious.
"We look for that big storm that doesn't damage too much but brings stuff to where we can get to it for sure," Schutts said.