Some parts of the Central Coast experienced triple-digit temperatures and relentless sun throughout the day on Friday, but at Pismo Beach, the day started off with a blanket of fog creeping over the cold water and relatively mild temperatures compared to the inland areas, attracting anyone looking to stay cool.
Many businesses along the coast are benefiting from the increase in visitors.
"This weekend should be more than usual with the heat wave," said Alicia Avina, Avila Beach Paddle Sports owner.
"Way busier than it even has been the past couple weekends I would say," said Amber Mehring, Kraken Pismo Beach barista.
"The kids went back to school in August and it's kind of like our last big weekend," said Brittany Sons, Wooly's & Oyster Loft General Manager.
For many beach town businesses, Labor Day weekend is the last hurrah of summer, usually bringing in a considerable profit, but business owners say with the heat wave they are expecting to see an even bigger profit this year.
"We're fully booked for tomorrow, pretty booked for Sunday as well," said Avina.
"Definitely way more traffic because if it's going to be hot around here, it's way hotter inland, so everybody travels here," said Mehring.
"Tons, tons — we've got a lot of people from Fresno, Bakersfield, but then we get a lot of people from Paso, Atascadero and down south as well," said Mehring.
The increase in tourism is boosting business during a weekend that gives coastal businesses a good chunk of their profit for the year.
"I would say it's a pretty big chunk profit-wise, yeah," said Sons.
"Yeah, it should be the closing of summer, but it should be actually our busiest weekend of the year. We've dealt with a lot of wind this year and now we've got the heat so we're expecting a large crowd," said Avina.
Avila Paddle Sports would like to advise anyone visiting this weekend to bring lots of sunscreen and water to ensure they stay safe and have a good time while enjoying the Central Coast.
