Sewage Keeps Sun-Seekers at Water’s Edge

As he began to strip out of his dripping wet suit Saturday afternoon, 16-year-old James Richling didn’t have to think twice before assessing what kind of surfing day it had been.

“This is the worst, really disappointing,” he said.

Added his friend, 15-year-old Robert Crosby: “I’ve seen bigger waves in a toilet.”

Richling, Crosby and two other companions had been surfing for six hours about a quarter-mile south of the Newport Pier, just outside the 4 1/4-mile strip of coastline that has been declared off limits since Wednesday night when 250,000 gallons of sewage spilled from a Fountain Valley treatment plant. The area from the Newport Pier north to Beach Boulevard in Huntington Beach has been closed while officials monitor the water quality.

The spill closed the four surfers’ normal spot at Huntington State Beach, so they were forced to Newport Beach, where the waves Saturday averaged a foot.

“We get bigger waves up at Huntington because of the jettys. We surf there all the time,” Crosby said. “You can’t ride this stuff.”

Crosby and his friends were among an estimated 10,000 people who took advantage of clear, sunny Saturday weather to head for the affected beach area. Newport Beach reported a high of 64 degrees, and similar temperatures along with continued clear skies and light winds are forecast for today and Monday.

While going into the water in the affected stretch is prohibited until at least Monday, the beaches themselves are open, and people are allowed on the sand and walkways.

The closure caused some children to build their sandcastles a little farther from the surf, some dog owners to throw their sticks away from the water and some surfers to look elsewhere for that perfect wave.

Tom and Molly Harris brought their 4-year-old grandson Casey Williams to Newport Beach to enjoy the sand and waves, but said they were not disappointed by the restricted waters.

“We can go to other side of the pier to swim . . . we’ve just haven’t got around to it yet,” said Molly Harris, who was armed with a large steel shovel for sandcastle building.

Casey, for one, seemed eager to hit the surf, saying that he looked forward to “catching the waves and punching the waves.”

Farther down the beach, Pat DeCarlo and his two sons were also busily at work in the sand, but they didn’t have plans to go in the water because it was too cold. Authorities said the water temperature was in the mid-50s.

“We just wanted to do something to get out of the house,” DeCarlo said. “It’s a nice sunny day.”

Besides, his son Alex noted, “we have our own spa at home.”

Lifeguards at Newport and Huntington beaches said about 20 people--most of them surfers--attempted to defy the closure, but officials reported no major problems.

“We’ve been pulling people out throughout the day,” said Huntington Beach State Park lifeguard Eric Sturm. “They’ve all been very cooperative.”

County health officials collected water samples along the closed stretch of beach Friday to test for sewage contamination.

The test results will not be available until Monday, according to Dave Wenger, a marine safety officer in Newport Beach.

Despite lifeguard patrols and numerous warning signs, at least one family took a dip in the water without being detected.

Jose Hernandez and his family of six traveled all the way from San Bernardino on Saturday to enjoy the beach. Hernandez said he didn’t see the warning signs about the water.

Hernandez, who was wearing slacks and a long sleeve shirt, simply took off the shirt and plunged in.

“It felt fine,” Hernandez said.

Robert Crosby and his surfing companions also considered braving the waters of the closed beaches, but decided in the end to play it safe.

“I thought about it,” Crosby said. “Maybe I might get sick.”