# Brazoria County Closed San Luis Pass



## Tiki Bay Fishing (Dec 8, 2016)

Brazoria County side of SLP is closed to people entering the water for any reason effective August 18th. 9 people have drowned this year.

This is from a USCG public service announcement:

Coast Guard cautions public of dangerous rip currents at San Luis Pass

HOUSTON, Texas â€” The Coast Guard is cautioning beachgoers of the dangerous rip currents at San Luis Pass that claimed the lives of four people in the last several weeks and five others this year.

In an effort to prevent further loss of life, the Brazoria County Commissioner's Court has voted to prohibit visitors from entering the waters of San Luis Pass for any activity, including bathing, fishing and swimming beginning Aug. 18, 2017.

Over the past several weeks, the Coast Guard, Galveston Beach Patrol, Brazoria County Sheriff and Gulf Coast Rescue have received notifications and conducted extensive search and rescue efforts for individuals who were overcome by treacherous rip currents in the area.


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## jayken86 (Feb 24, 2014)

Maybe they should close I45, I10, 288 and 59 also.... how many people a year die from using those?


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## Carp-enter (Jun 18, 2017)

Couldn't they just require PFD's?


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## BretE (Jan 24, 2008)

I still don't get the uproar???......if you Wade SLP you're crazy. If you already know better than to wade SLP, this won't affect you......


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## jayken86 (Feb 24, 2014)

BretE said:


> I still don't get the uproar???......if you Wade SLP you're crazy. If you already know better than to wade SLP, this won't affect you......


if you know how to wade san luis pass safely you are not crazy... or hell maybe I am, but nearly 20 years of wading down there and ive never even been close to having an issue. the problem is people not respecting the water, tides, currents and not using proper judgment when entering the water. if you get in and wade chest deep with rollers breaking over your head and an outgoing tide wearing blue jeans and a welding shirt or even worse yet WADERS yes you are crazy. its not a place for inexperience, but for some peoples ignorance, it shouldn't shut it down for everybody.


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## BretE (Jan 24, 2008)

jayken86 said:


> if you know how to wade san luis pass safely you are not crazy... or hell maybe I am, but nearly 20 years of wading down there and ive never even been close to having an issue. the problem is people not respecting the water, tides, currents and not using proper judgment when entering the water. if you get in and wade chest deep with rollers breaking over your head and an outgoing tide wearing blue jeans and a welding shirt or even worse yet WADERS yes you are crazy. its not a place for inexperience, but for some peoples ignorance, it shouldn't shut it down for everybody.


Define "wade San Luis pass safely".....I seriously doubt you've driven down the entrance to the Pass itself and waded right in by the bridge. I've bailed out of a boat and waded Bird Island and the big sand bar myself numerous times. Not the same.....


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## jayken86 (Feb 24, 2014)

BretE said:


> Define "wade San Luis pass safely".....I seriously doubt you've driven down the entrance to the Pass itself and waded right in by the bridge. I've bailed out of a boat and waded Bird Island and the big sand bar myself numerous times. Not the same.....


many, many times. back when the flounder run was still strong down there, my dad would take me and we would wade in just north of the bridge. I was probably 10 or 11 years old. While there he would teach me what was going on in the water. Explain the tides to me, teach me about the importance of reading the water and picking out guts, drop offs and eddys and how they were dangerous. He taught me to back up and out when I noticed the bottom moving from beneath my feet. We also have a place on Matagorda peninsula and waded pass cavallo frequently, as do so many others. You don't hear of 10 drownings a year there. Why? Because the inexperienced don't have access to it. Same as mitchells cut in Sargent, they can get there but most wont drive the beach that far to get down there. I understand accidents happen, no matter how much time you have spent on the water. Last spring I was swept off my feet at mosquito island by a tanker wake and never could make it back to the bar. I had enough since to roll over on my back and float/ backstroke till I got back to the dike. Still that's no reason to shut it down for everyone. I own a boat, I don't have to wade the pass, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't still like to some day.


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## BretE (Jan 24, 2008)

jayken86 said:


> many, many times. back when the flounder run was still strong down there, my dad would take me and we would wade in just north of the bridge. I was probably 10 or 11 years old. While there he would teach me what was going on in the water. Explain the tides to me, teach me about the importance of reading the water and picking out guts, drop offs and eddys and how they were dangerous. He taught me to back up and out when I noticed the bottom moving from beneath my feet. We also have a place on Matagorda peninsula and waded pass cavallo frequently, as do so many others. You don't hear of 10 drownings a year there. Why? Because the inexperienced don't have access to it. Same as mitchells cut in Sargent, they can get there but most wont drive the beach that far to get down there. I understand accidents happen, no matter how much time you have spent on the water. Last spring I was swept off my feet at mosquito island by a tanker wake and never could make it back to the bar. I had enough since to roll over on my back and float/ backstroke till I got back to the dike. Still that's no reason to shut it down for everyone. I own a boat, I don't have to wade the pass, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't still like to some day.


So, we'll sacrifice the stupid people and the people who don't know any better just in case "some day" you might decide you'd like to wade again......gotcha......

Look, I know what you're saying but too many people are dying in the area. It's a shame it has to be closed but honestly, you're in the vast minority if you feel safe wading that area....


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## dolch (Aug 19, 2005)

PFD's seem like a nice stop gap


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