HUNTINGTON BEACH : Surf’s Up but Waves Are Far From Perfect

The cliffs along the coast here were a study in contrasts Thursday.

On the wide expanse of glittering ocean in this surfers’ paradise, where hundreds of wet-suited wave riders usually dot the seascape, only a handful could be seen braving the water.

Yet far out to sea, where enormous waves broke in seemingly slow motion, the surf was definitely up. “This is about the biggest I’ve seen all winter!” said Carey Trabue, 35, a local heavy equipment operator who had spent the morning riding the waves.

Indeed, lifeguards reported swells of up to six feet--about twice the usual size--along the Orange County coast, with the biggest waves hitting Newport Beach, San Clemente, Salt Creek Beach and Huntington Beach.

“We only get surf this big about once or twice a year,” said Ron Tassin, a lifeguard supervisor at Huntington State Beach, just north of the cliffs.

According to weather reports, the big waves were caused by a storm system just north of Hawaii that is heading toward the West Coast.

While the waves were reported to be ideal--”glassy” or smooth--in San Clemente, those in Huntington Beach were far from perfect. They were what surfers call too “lined up and walled,” Tassin said, meaning that the waves came too frequently and, rather than breaking in one predictable spot, they were breaking up all over, making long rides difficult.

A strong drift and strong undercurrents also made surfing especially strenuous and hazardous, Tassin said.

But that did not seem to bother Kurt Hastings, 40, a veteran surfer and telephone company employee from Seal Beach who said he took the day off to go surfing. “These are great waves,” said Hastings, who has enjoyed the sport for 30 years. “It’s excellent--one of those rare, exceptional, unique, really good days where everything comes together just right.”

Not far away, however, Jeff Pruett, 20, of Huntington Beach said he had become discouraged and quit earlier than planned. “There are some good waves to be had,” he said, “but it’s hard to get good rides.”

He was not alone: Watching the action from the bluff above was a group of Long Beach high school students who said they had hurried out of the water after just one ride.

“It was pretty scary,” said Matt Armato, 15. “It’s pretty big and there’s an undertow. It sucks you under and you stay under for a long time. I thought I was going to die. We figured there was no reason to hurt ourselves.”

Lifeguards reported only a few minor injuries during the day, mostly at the Huntington Beach Pier, where some surfers suffered scrapes. Also, one lifeguard said, “we had a lot of broken surfboards and stuff.”

Steve Burback, a meteorologist for WeatherData Inc., which provides forecasts for The Times, said the swells were likely to increase through today, reaching seven to nine feet by late afternoon.