Energy from Hurricane Narda brought big, bombing waves to the Southern California area the past few days, with the strong surf continuing through the early part of the week.
The wild waves kept lifeguards busy starting on Sunday when strong currents showed up with 6- to 8-foot surf, even some 10-foot waves, along south-facing beaches.
Much of the energy in Newport Beach was focused at the Newport Point, a beach that typically only shows when hurricane swell brings waves, and also at West Newport, said Lifeguard Chief Brian O’Rourke.
The Wedge had size as well, though the direction of the swell didn’t make for the best conditions, he said.
“These hurricane swells have really selective windows where it’s good and the energy hits,” he said. “Danger level, it’s on the extreme side.”
Extra staffing was needed over the weekend as the swell started to grow, with lifeguards in Newport Beach posting red flags as warnings, keeping them up on Monday as the swell continued.
There were 45 rescues throughout the day Sunday along the entire Newport Beach coastline, said Battalion Chief Mike Ure.
A strong, longshore current made conditions even more hazardous, he said. Waves were big enough to keep many people out of the water.
“There’s people just getting hammered on by the inside whitewater, you can’t even get in the water without getting hammered,” Ure said.
Always check in with a lifeguard at the beach if you plan on going in the water, he noted.
“They can give you advice on current conditions,” Ure said. “They may be able to redirect you to a place where you’ll have a better time and not put yourself in any danger.”
The surf that showed up is one of the biggest tropical swells of the year. And while waves are dropping as the week progresses, beachgoers should still use caution, O’Rourke warned.
“Traditionally, this time of year, our weather is the warmest, the water is the warmest and we get the bigger surf,” he said. “We’re still getting crowds on the weekends and all that combination is keeping lifeguards on their toes.”
Huntington Beach Marine Safety Battalion Chief Greg Crow said conditions were completely “walled” on the south side of the pier, with no surfers in the water Sunday.
“It was funneling through the pier like a river,” he said of the strong current.
Huntington Beach lifeguards still made 21 rescues Sunday, with 265 preventive actions, he said.
“(Monday), the swell has dropped a little bit, but it’s still really strong out of the south, kind of blown out,” Crow said. “It’s down in size, but still has some power.”
Crow warned that beachgoers, in addition to swimming near lifeguard towers, should know their abilities in the ocean.
“If you’re an expert surfer, you’ll probably be fine — but if you’re a novice, this is probably not a good day,” he said.
OC Lifeguards Chief Jason Young said there were no major incidents over the weekend, and the agency staffed up in anticipation of the bigger surf, especially at more popular beaches such as Salt Creek. There were 10 rescues, but 250 preventive actions, he said.
Surf should be dropping in coming days, back down to the 2- to-3 foot range on Thursday and Friday, according to Surfline.com.