Hurricane Isaias brings high surf, rip current risk to Cortez Beach

CORTEZ BEACH, Fla. — Hurricane Isaias did not bring direct impacts to the Tampa Bay area, but beachgoers at Cortez Beach were still feeling its effects Saturday.

The National Weather Service issued a high surf advisory through Saturday night and a high rip current advisory through Sunday evening. Along the coast, double red flags were also warning beachgoers of dangerous water conditions.

WATCH NOW: Hurricane Isaias brings high surf, rip current risk to Cortez Beach

Despite the warnings, surfers at Cortez Beach said the rougher conditions were creating the kind of waves they do not often get to experience locally.

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“So today's definitely smaller compared to yesterday. Yesterday was probably like 5 feet. Today it died down a little, but I mean we're still getting little pieces, so it's good,” surfer Phillip Arevalo said.

Arevalo said waves like these are not common at the beach.

Surfer Joshua Bargo was also making the most of the conditions.

“Probably been here for like 4 hours, caught at least 150 of them,” Bargo said.

But the same conditions bringing surfers into the water were also prompting warnings about potentially dangerous currents.

Manatee County lifeguard towers are staffed from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, according to information gathered during Tampa Bay 28's reporting. As lifeguards left the beach for the day Saturday, some surfers continued heading into the water.

Arevalo said that means paying close attention to his equipment and the conditions around him.

“You just always gotta make sure to hold onto your board because if not, the leash could snap,” Arevalo said.

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Skimboarder Oliver Bydzovski said he could feel the current pulling him along the shore.

“It like pulls you that way,” Bydzovski said.

As he chased waves down the beach, Bydzovski said staying close to shore and around other people was part of how he was approaching the conditions.

“Staying close like with your board and not going out too far and always making sure you're by people so if you get sucked out, people will see,” Bydzovski said.

Wind was also noticeable along Cortez Beach Saturday, keeping kites in the air as other families spent time on the beach.

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For Bargo, the conditions were a reminder that although Hurricane Isaias did not bring major impacts to the area, its presence could still be felt along the coast.

“I thought we were going to get a little bit of some kind of hurricane activity, but really it was pretty clear, a little rain, you know, nothing crazy,” Bargo said.