MetOcean conditions in the South China Sea (SCS) indicates that unlike other locations such as the North Sea, the magnitude of the currents can be relatively large. In addition, these currents are strongly sheared. The present study focused on the typical design problem of calculating the ultimate base shear and overturning moments for slender fixed structures with the inclusion of the interaction between the currents and the wave field. It has been found that the loads on average can be around 15 larger when this interaction is accounted for in the calculation of the loads, highlighting the importance. In addition, the level of these amplifications were found to be dependent on the sea state steepness and the relative water depth. While no clear trend was found (changed case by case) in the present work, incorporating the vertical structure of the current was found to change the pattern of the amplification of the loads. © The Authors, published by EDP Sciences, 2018.