Coast : Unusually High Surf Keeps Lifeguards Busy

Unusually high surf conditions kept lifeguards along the Orange County coast busy Wednesday and Thursday, though water temperatures as low as 62 degrees discouraged many beachgoers from venturing into the surf.

A storm out of the southwest produced swells of three to eight feet along the coast, prompting lifeguards to post red warning flags Wednesday and Thursday.

At San Clemente, the rough surf required a number of mass rescues as groups of swimmers were pulled toward the pier by strong rip currents.

“We dispatched about four or five lifeguards to bring them in,” said Lt. Larry Moore. “We’ve had close to 60 rescues in the past two days, and that’s a lot for just two miles of beach,” Moore said.

Strong recurring side currents prompted “at least a dozen” rescues in the Huntington Beach Pier area Thursday, according to lifeguard Andrew Wisenberger.

More than 50 rescues have been made in the past two days in Laguna Beach, according to lifeguards there.

Lifeguards at Newport Beach, where waves reached eight feet at times, reported that about 100 people had been pulled from the water.

Attendance at Doheny State Beach was high Thursday, but lifeguards there said many were staying out of the water.

The high in Santa Ana reached 75 degrees Thursday, with Newport Beach registering a cooler 69 and El Toro warming to 77.

After late night and early morning clouds burn off, the air today should warm to the upper 60s and low 70s along the beaches and into the 70s and low 80s inland, the National Weather Service said, with that pattern likely to continue throughout the weekend. Lows should range from the upper 50s to mid-60s.