Green Grass and High Tides Forever

From the National Weather Service:

MARYLAND BEACHES-
1130 PM EDT FRI AUG 21 2009

...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK IN EFFECT THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING...
...HIGH SURF ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM SATURDAY TO
6 PM EDT SUNDAY...

DANGEROUS LONG PERIOD SOUTHEAST SWELL GENERATED BY HURRICANE BILL
WILL CONTINUE TO BUILD ACROSS THE COASTAL WATERS TONIGHT INTO
SATURDAY...THEN PERSIST INTO SUNDAY. SEAS WILL BUILD TO 6 TO 8
FEET BY SATURDAY MORNING...THEN PEAK BETWEEN 10 TO 13 FEET
SATURDAY EVENING THROUGH EARLY SUNDAY MORNING. BREAKING WAVES IN
THE SURF ZONES SHOULD RANGE MAINLY FROM 5 TO 7 FEET...WITH SOME 8
FOOT WAVES POSSIBLE. IN ADDITION...THERE WILL BE HIGH ASTRONOMICAL
TIDES ASSOCIATED WITH THE CURRENT NEW MOON CYCLE. THESE FACTORS
WILL RESULT IN A HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS LASTING THROUGH THE
WEEKEND.

THE ROUGH SURF WILL ALSO CAUSE SOME BEACH EROSION AND POSSIBLY
OCEAN OVERWASH...ESPECIALLY AROUND THE TIMES OF HIGH TIDE ON
SATURDAY AND SUNDAY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A HIGH SURF ADVISORY MEANS THAT HIGH SURF WILL AFFECT BEACHES IN
THE ADVISORY AREA...PRODUCING RIP CURRENTS AND LOCALIZED BEACH
EROSION.

A HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS MEANS WIND AND OR WAVE CONDITIONS
SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS...ESPECIALLY IN
THE VICINITY OF JETTIES...PIERS AND SANDBARS. RIP CURRENTS ARE
LIFE-THREATENING TO ANYONE WHO ENTERS THE SURF. BE ESPECIALLY
CAUTIOUS WITH OUTGOING TIDES WHICH IMPROVE RIP CURRENT FORMATION.
ALL BEACH GOERS SHOULD REMAIN AWARE OF INHERENT DANGERS WHEN
ENTERING THE SURF INCLUDING SWIFT LONGSHORE CURRENTS...POUNDING
SHORE BREAK AND SHALLOW SAND BARS.

RIP CURRENTS ARE STRONG...NARROW CHANNELS OF WATER THAT FLOW OUT
TO SEA. IF YOU BECOME CAUGHT IN A RIP CURRENT...REMAIN CALM. TRY
TO SWIM ON A COURSE THAT IS PARALLEL TO THE BEACH UNTIL YOU GET
AWAY FROM THE RIP...THEN SWIM AT AN ANGLE IN TO SHORE. DO NOT TRY
TO SWIM BACK TO SHORE DIRECTLY AGAINST THE RIP...SINCE IT CAN
EXHAUST AND EVEN KILL THE STRONGEST SWIMMER.

ALWAYS HEED THE ADVICE OF LIFEGUARDS. PAY ATTENTION TO FLAGS AND
SIGNS POSTED NEAR BEACH ACCESS POINTS AND LIFEGUARD STATIONS.

Now, having read and digested all this, it's fairly clear that one should not venture out into rough waters, am I wrong? I'm writing this on Friday night. Does anyone wish to bet that sometime on Saturday some Coast Guard personnel or some local lifeguards will have to risk their lives to save the life of some surfer or kayaker or thrillseeker who just HAD to test the raging waters of Hurricane Bill? Do we not see this in every storm - rough waters, people running for protection, and some shirtless yahoo out in a catamaran or something, bobbing around and endangering himself, the rescue personnel and the catamaran?

High tides and rip current. Add a couple of Coronas and watch the trouble begin.