Ventura Harbor Closed Due To High Surf And Sand Build-Up

The Ventura Harbor is closed because of high surf, strong currents and the accumulation of sand.

Officials made the decision on Friday.

Waves as high as 10 feet created dangerous conditions for boaters.

“Any moment a wave could break across the channel and cause a significant boat accident and present a significant challenge to rescuers,” said Harbor Master John Higgens.

Our crews rode along with harbor officials on Saturday as they monitored the entrance and informed boaters of the closure.

Higgens said the big waves pounding the harbor aren’t the only problem.

Strong currents are creating mountains of sand, clogging up the entrance.

“Our normal channel, which is 300 feet wide, shrunk to about 40 feet wide,” Higgens said.

The depth of the water is also very shallow.

“We have a strong current that will push you off course, a narrow channel to try to move between, and breaking waves on both sides that sometimes connect in the middle. Any one of those things is dangerous for a boater. All of them together make it exceptionally dangerous,” Higgens said.

The harbor will remain closed through the weekend. Officials will re-evaluate the conditions on Monday.

In the meantime, harbor officials are trying to expedite the arrival of a dredge to remove the sand.