Cooler Weather, Heavy Surf Forecast

Forecasters expect temperatures to dip a few degrees today but warn that Orange County beaches will continue to be pounded by heavy surf until Monday morning.

The beaches will remain under a heavy surf advisory as surf 6 to 8 feet high is forecast along most county beaches, according to the National Weather Service. The rough conditions come courtesy of a storm that passed through New Zealand last month.

Thousands flocked to the beaches Saturday to take advantage of the sun and surf, prompting lifeguards to spend most of the day in the water assisting swimmers.

“We’re prolific with activity over here,” said Richard Chew, a supervisor at the San Clemente lifeguard station. “Everyone who lives inland thinks the beach is the only spot to be at today. It’s what we expected for the summer that we never got.”

With waves as high as 6 feet, San Clemente lifeguards erected red flags warning swimmers of the perilous conditions. High surf is often accompanied by dangerous rip currents and can be powerful enough to snap a surfboard in half, meteorologists warned.

Lifeguards from Seal Beach to San Clemente reported busier-than-normal workloads but no serious injuries among swimmers or surfers. Seal Beach lifeguards also reported pulling in more than 50 lobster traps from the ocean since Friday. The traps pose a danger to swimmers, who can get caught in the currents and then tangled in the ropes of the traps.

“We’re having an incredible summer day,” Seal Beach lifeguard Eric Roberts said. “The surf, the crowds, the heat. It’s been busy, but nothing serious. We’ve had the usual type of rescues, swimmers getting caught up in rip currents or sting rays.”

At Huntington Beach, where the surf reached 5 feet, lifeguards made 30 rescues and transported one person to the hospital as a precautionary measure, Lt. Kyle Lindo said.

“It looks like a good summer weekday out here,” Lindo said. “It’s just a nice beach day.”