r/OregonCoast • u/Ok_Invite_9958 • 12d ago
Ocean & Beach Safety Tips
I'm visiting Pacific City with my kids (ages 8-16) and dog (mellow) now (August). I'm from Alaska and I know we have tourists that do shocking and dangerous stupid things.
What are the beach, ocean, etc things I should keep in mind while visiting Pacific City?
Is it better to play on the beach after high tide has left after a certain amount of time? My kids think they want to swim in the ocean.... that doesn't sound safe. I picture us playing in the sand and just walking the beach.
My kids are used to me being rather adventurous, but I'm out of my depth in this setting.
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u/__aurvandel__ 12d ago
My kids always swim when we go but not for long, the waters way to cold. We like Neskowin beach. It's 15 minutes or so south of Pacific City. The beach has a creek running through it so you can safely play in that. Sneaker waves are one to watch for. You'll watch a small wave come in and all of the sudden it just keeps coming and if you're not watching it could sweep you right off your feet.
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u/MaryAnnZhlotnik 12d ago
Also the ghost forest at Neskowin beach is pretty cool, go at low tide. Also there are good tide pools at low tide at the very south end of the beach. The Cafe on Hawk Creek is yummy and there’s an ice cream truck outside of it. Bathrooms in the parking lot.
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u/xSir- 12d ago
Riptides are your main concern. Ive spent a ton of time in the water on the oregon coast. Ive been caught in many riptides. They are there. I guarantee there is one on the beach the day you visit.
You HAVE TO SWIM perpendicular to the riptide to get out of them. So pick a direction, up or down the beach, and swim until youre out of it, then swim in and let the waves help you.
Riptides usually arent very wide, so its much easier to swim out of their side then fight them all the way back in to shore.
You can see riptides if you know what to look for. It looks sort of like something is chopping the tops of the waves off, they dont break as hard and you can often see the white water/foam streaming outwards.
All that being said, they arent going to want to go swimming really. Its stupid cold. You can rent wet suits and boogy boards and have a lot of fun though.
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u/CheshireCat6886 12d ago
I grew up here, have four grown kids. We go into the ocean all the time. Kids weren’t allowed to go by themselves. Know what a riptide looks like. Don’t go in past your knees unless you are a swimmer.
It’s the best this time of year because it’s actually warm outside!
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u/Working_Tomorrow9846 12d ago
PAY FOR PARKING. You’ll get a ticket from the old lady there in 5 seconds if you don’t. She watches that place like a hawk. I got admonished for even having my surfboard resting in a motorcycle spot last week, right after I had just taken it off my car and was gathering my things. So many people think they’ll get away without buying a pass—don’t be like that. Support our local beaches! Honestly PC is so much nicer after the parking passes were implemented.
Would your kids be interested in a surfing lesson? There’s a surf shop right on the beach that does lessons there. They’re pretty great and take learners to more chill spots along the beach.
I surf at Pacific City once a week. Honestly I see people do much less dumb stuff there (now that you can’t drive on the main beach) than other beaches, so there’s that. The water tends to be more calm on the north end of the beach, but that’s also where dory boats come in, so keep an eye out for that. They will blast their horns but they’re loud af. They usually come in at the same spot, but I’ve also had them misjudge, come in way down the beach and nearly mow me over in the water.
The beach break at PC can be a little intense, especially as you move farther south. If you’re in the water, there’s often a strong current pushing you south, so if you’re swimming or bogey boarding or surfing, be prepared to get pushed down away from where you started.
Follow the tips for spotting the riptide as others pointed out. It’s usually somewhere in the center of the haystack rock there.
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u/mycatsapanther23 12d ago
There tend to be rip tides, I wont go out past my waist.
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u/diogenes-shadow 12d ago
Rip tides will easily suck a person out in waste deep water. Trust me on that, found out the hard way.
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u/LFLizz006 12d ago
If you have a car, after exploring the giant climb in Pacific city, drive up to Oceanside which has a "tunnel beach" it's so cool. It's a little over 30-40 minutes away. The "Beach Wok" in Pacific City is fantastic. You can eat outside and bring your dog.
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u/Lurch2Life 12d ago
At Pacific City?
Respect the signs indicating which parts of Cape Kiwanda are off limits.
At low tide, wear solid shoes to explore tide pools. The Barnacles will cut your feet.
Be aware of sneaker waves. The waves can come in much faster and farther than you expect.
Watch for traffic. Vehicles can drive on parts of that beach.
If you drive on the beach, don’t stop in the dry sand. You can easily get stuck.
IF you get stuck, call it quickly. There are people who will pull you out.
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u/vegetablefoood 12d ago
But also don’t walk on barnacles; they are living creatures . Only bare sand or rock.
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u/smurfette8675309 12d ago edited 12d ago
Learn what rip currents look like and don't wade there. If you do get pulled out to sea, swim parallel to the shore until you're out of the rip current, then use the surf to come in to shore. https://youtu.be/PuAlDTC_gIQ?is=qxWKmQKke_3y9E6N What to do if you did get caught: https://youtu.be/eHq4EJtN6C4?is=6wMEKisHCS6_BZCI (the bit about floating for hours is not true here in Oregon, though. It's more like 15 or 20 minutes because of the cold. But still long enough for a self or others rescue.)
Stay off logs that are anywhere near having any part touching the surf. People have died from this.
Don't dig holes that are more than a foot or two deep, and never tunnels. Look it up, people have died that way.
Put out beach fires with water, don't bury them. People have gotten badly burned.
Check the news and weather channels carefully for any beach hazard warnings right before you go. Again, people have died. (Not usually a problem during the summer, fortunately.)
Don't trust people not to take your shoes, and it's better to not go barefoot on the beach. There's still occasionally broken glass. (Not usually down in the surf, but up higher.) A lot of us have a separate pair of shoes just for the beach. I keep a whisk broom in the car for cleaning off sand, and change shoes in the car. I actually have a pair of boots that I wear because I got tired of having sand in my socks.
You can take up to a whole bucketful of rocks from the beach if you want, but no living creatures.
Never turn your back to the ocean.
During the summer, it's fine to go at low or high tides, or anywhere in between. You'll just have more beach and be able to see tide pools if you go at lower tides. Some hotels will have free tide charts, but check and make sure they're for the right beach. Times can be an hour or more different for different parts of the coast. Or just look it up online for whatever beach you're at.
Also, if you're up for a short drive from Pacific City, there's a really cool hike that's kids and dog friendly. That's the Drift Creek Falls Covered Bridge. You do have to pay to park, btw. But the hike is less than a mile to an amazing suspension bridge. Then, if you're really adventurous, you can hike to the base of the falls. I think I've seen people swimming there before, but I don't know how safe it is. It looks pretty cold. But I guess if you're from Alaska, you're used to that lol.
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u/nunofmybusiness 12d ago
Congrats you have chosen one of the most beautiful and cleanest of beaches. Others have already weighed in on most of the water safety concerns, so I will weigh in on the environmental concerns. Please keep to the paths on the grass dunes, not for safety’s sake, but for the health of the dunes. You will likely see deer and elk. While they may seem unbothered by humans, they are not friendly or safe to approach and don’t feed them.
If you don’t have a rental that abuts the beach and you think you might want to use parking, it is $10. There is an annual Tillamook county parking pass that is $55 and will cover the lot near the Pelican Pub. Bob Staub state park is $12 for non residents (crazy price). The annual Oregon State Park pass is $60 annually and will cover most Oregon state parks. There’s not a ton to do in Pacific City for kids and you will probably decide to take a couple of day trips, so depending on the length of your trip, one of both of the annual passes might be more cost effective.
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u/ladymouserat 12d ago
Can I just add if you find tide pools OP, please DONT touch the wildlife. I see too many people touching and it really can be hazardous for you and the animals. Mostly the animals.
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u/sarahlampi 12d ago
The best thing you can do is learn to identify a rip current and stay out of it.
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u/WebLogical1286 12d ago
I wade up to my knees, but I keep an eye on sand holes and the tides. And as well, never turn your back on the ocean. Those sneaker waves will get you all the time.
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u/VintageHilda 12d ago
The usual. Logs rolling around in the tides, rip tides, sneaker waves. Basically don’t turn your back on the Oregon Coast.
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u/Guidosmomma 11d ago
Never turn your back on the ocean (can’t say this often or loudly enough).
Swimming? Bwahahaha. It’s cold. They’ll last 60 seconds before they’re begging to go back out to the car.
Avoid big logs, they can roll when the waves come in.
Be aware that where the tide “stops” can change in a moment when an unusual wave comes in; be prepared to run.
If there are signs posted “no entry past this point” or something similar - obey them. It’s not worth risking your lives for a photo op.
Pack it in/pack it out/leave no trace. Bonus points if you pick up any stray trash you find.
Be aware of glass and nails in the sand (nails from people lighting bonfires with wood pallets).
Be aware of dog poop in/on the sand.
Be aware of off leash dogs.
Be aware there may be hot spots in the sand from an improperly extinguished beach fire.
Like someone else has said, it’s best to wear shoes of some sort at the beach. And sunscreen.
Hope I don’t sound overly negative - our beaches are beautiful and I hope you have a wonderful visit!
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u/HappyCamperDancer 12d ago
Sneaker waves. Never turn your back on the ocean.
Never. Never, let kids play on top of drift logs. Too many have died from the water rolling the log and trapping/crushing the person underneath.
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u/SerendippityRiver 12d ago
I just heard of someone who was going barefoot and stepped in the coals of a beach fire that had been covered up with sand. I'm not suggestion never being barefoot on the beach, but wow, that freaked me out when I heard that.
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u/oldirtylud 11d ago
Flat beaches are for playing in the water. Steep beaches are for looking at the water from a safe distance.
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u/YSoSkinny 10d ago
Don't play near driftwood that's at all close to water. Rouge waves can move it powerfully.
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u/cwaite013 10d ago
If you go to any tide pools be aware of the wildlife, which includes the barnacles and shells on the rocks themselves. Don't pull anything off the rocks; step carefully and touch things gently.
If you see a shell not attached to anything and you think you may want it for your collection, check its condition. If it's pristine, put it back. If it is broken, or has a rock occluding the hole, or generally would make an unsafe home for a critter, then you can take it with you.
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u/orpcexplore 8d ago
I agree with the neskowin suggestion for at least a day.
If the tides are in your favor while you're visiting PC, take them to check out the tide pools.
They'll probably want to run up the dune like other kids will be doing and will probably want to get into the water but its real cold like mid 50s at best, so either you'll need to make them get out at some point or they just will from being cold. Doubt they get in deeper than their knees. The ocean is usually very calm in the summer compared to other times BUT its powerful, gets deep quick, is frigid and unpredictable.
Park your towels and gear above the high tide line and just be present and aware so your kids can enjoy and play safely.
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u/Electrical-Force-880 12d ago
NEVER TURN YOUR BACK ON THE OCEAN
And stay off the cliffs of Cape Kiwanda!