For experienced surfers, a strong swell that showed up on Thursday, Nov. 28, offered plenty of waves to be thankful for – but for visitors or people unfamiliar with the ocean, the elevated surf brought hazardous conditions at the coast that kept lifeguards busy.
The south swell brought waves in the 4-to 6-foot range at south-facing beaches like Huntington Beach, West Newport Beach and along south Orange County’s coast. Wave size at the Wedge in Newport was even bigger, with spectators watching the wild waves along the shoreline as they crashed on shore.
The remainder of the holiday weekend may be a more opportune time to visit the coast, due to the dropping swell size and warming weather.
Huntington Beach’s waves were in the 4-to 6-foot range, creating a strong side current moving from south to north, said Huntington Beach Marine Safety Captain Tony Villalobos.
“We’re just letting a lot of people know to take caution,” he said. “It’s been already a bit of a busy morning.”
One early morning rescue involved a stand-up paddler near the cliffs area who lost his board and had difficulty reaching the shore, he said.
“There’s been a lot of activity and a lot of surf, more than what we expected,” he said. “It’s not a good day to be out in the surf if you don’t have experience. It is strong and you have good size rip currents. Overall, conditions will be much more dangerous and elevated than normal days. It’s a great day to go to about your knees, but not a day to swim out if you don’t have experience or fins.”
Crowds were starting to fill in through the morning.
“The water looks very inviting,” he said. “We have a lot of surfers … we’re experiencing a lot more people than normal.”
Always ask a lifeguard about conditions and they will direct beachgoers to the safest spot, he said.
Newport Beach Lifeguard Department captain Mark Herman said holiday crowds were keeping beaches busy, with several preventive actions as a strong, longshore current pushed people dangerously close to rock jetties along West Newport beaches.
Most lifeguard towers are on winter schedules, which means many towers are not open and lifeguards are scanning the beaches from vehicles.
Waves were a bit smaller in Laguna Beach, in the 3-to 4-foot range, and while an afternoon low tide may seem enticing for visitors who want to check out the critters in the tidepools, beachgoers should beware.
“You should always be careful on the rocks with the waves coming in, especially if you’re on the wet rocks on the tidepools,” said Laguna Beach Marine Safety Officer Cory Solomon.
San Clemente seasonal tower guard Chris Tester said the beaches were under red-flag – or high-hazard- conditions in the morning, due to visibility challenges with dense fog that made it difficult for lifeguards to see.
The weekend should be a great time to show off the coast for out-of-town visitors.
Temps are expected to be 5-to-10 degrees higher than normal on Saturday and Sunday, registering in the mid-to-upper 70s, said National Weather Service Meteorologist Sam Zuber.
“It’s going to be fairly hot and dry, definitely abnormal for this time of November,” she said.
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