Surf’s Up--With Surprise Swells

Southern California’s high surf is the residual effect of a typical winter storm in the Southern Hemisphere. Some swimmers and inexperienced surfers venture farther out into the ocean during longer intervals between waves. Suddenly they find themselves trapped in stronger surf and bigger waves than expected. The surf had these characteristics over the last few days. Distance from shoreline Sunday: 75 to 100 yards Monday: 50 to 75 yards Tuesday: 50 to 75 yards Typically: 50 yards Interval between waves Sunday: 17 to 19 seconds Monday: 16 to 18 seconds Tuesday: 15 to 16 seconds Typically: 10 to 11 seconds Wave height Sunday: 8 to 10 feet Monday: Up to 7 feet Tuesday: 3 to 5 feet Typically: 2 to 4 feet Storm From Below Southern California usually gets about 40 incidents each summer of swells from the Southern Hemisphere. The latest swell is the result of a storm that took place two weeks ago, 8,000 miles away. LABELS Low pressure New Zealand Antarctica Tasmania Winds 60-73 m.p.h. Waves up to 50 feet high System moved northeast, losing strength Pointer box: Although storm disintegrated before reaching Orange County, it produced huge swells Lifeguards on Alert There were hundreds of rescues at local beaches Saturday through Monday because of the deceptive surf. The number of rescues is higher than normal, as is common when there are unusual swells. Orange County: 1,109 Los Angeles County: 460 Ventura County: 149 Sources: Surfline/Wavetrak, city lifeguards;