Vacationers should be careful of riptide-producing swells on Costa Rica’s Pacific this weekend

July 4^th, 2013 (InsideCostaRica.com) If you are heading to the beach this weekend to celebrate the 4^th of July or the mid-term school vacations, be cautious of high swells.

Authorities are warning of waves between 2.5 and 3 meters this weekend (about 8 to 10 feet).

According to the Research Center of Marine Sciences and Limnology at the University of Costa Rica (UCR), the strong swells are the result of a storm in the South Pacific which will see its peak between Friday and Saturday.

“It is important to draw the attention of vacationers […] because these waves will have breaks that generate strong riptides,” said oceanographer Omar Lizano.

The highest waves will be seen on open and unprotected stretches of beach, such as the area ranging from Jaco to Punta Burica, including Playa Hermosa, Esterillos, Palo Seco, and Caldera.