If youre headed to the coast to cool off, be warned: The waves are strong enough to cause trouble at the beach.
The National Weather Service issued a high-surf advisory Friday, just as the heat sent scores of people flocking to the coast to cool off to enjoy the final weeks of summer.
Hurricane John, currently off the coast of Baja California, brought surf in the 4-to-6-foot range with occasional 8 footers, at south-facing spots along the Southern California coastline.
A surfer loses it on a wave in Newport Beach on Friday, August 10, 2018. A swell from Hurricane John will bring larger waves to south-facing beaces through the weekend. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A surfer rides a wave in Newport Beach on Friday, August 10, 2018. A swell from Hurricane John will bring larger waves to south-facing beaces through the weekend. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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A surfer goes over the crest of a swell in Newport Beach on Friday, August 10, 2018. A swell from Hurricane John will bring larger waves to south-facing beaces through the weekend. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A surfer rides a wave in Newport Beach on Friday, August 10, 2018. A swell from Hurricane John will bring larger waves to south-facing beaces through the weekend. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Bummer, dude. A surfer holds his broken board at Doheny State Beach on Friday as Hurricane John rolled in. (Photo courtesy Pamela Conti)
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“Weve been following it, weve had some charts up and have been watching it the past few days,” said Jon Mitchell, a lifeguard captain in Newport Beach.
Mitchell looked out to 8-foot sets rolling in just south of the Newport Pier, and the strong currents pushing toward West Newport.
“The way the current is flushing into the pier, its going to be the worst place to swim,” he said of people who will be setting up on the south side of the pier. “Check with lifeguards, and dont get in over your head.
“The waves are bigger than you think, you can get in trouble quick.”
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Lifeguards will be facing extra challenges with summer winding down and many of the seasonal guards heading back to school.
“Were scrambling to find a few extra bodies to work today,” Mitchell said.
The strong run of surf could be hanging around the next few weeks, with a series of south swells expected to hit the region, he said.
A heat advisory was in place Friday, expected to expire at about 8 p.m. Temperatures in Los Angeles and the Santa Monica Mountains were expected to hit about 103, with the coast ranging from low 80s to mid 90s. Inland Orange County had temperatures in the mid-90s in some areas like Yorba Linda, while the coast was about 10 degrees cooler.
The high-surf advisory remains in affect until midnight Saturday, with waves in the 4-7 foot range through Saturday, slowly subsiding late Saturday.
Another danger to be aware of are “sneaker waves” that can appear when the ocean seems calm moments prior.
The NWS also warns of minor coastal flooding that can occur, with an extreme high tide between 7 to 7.5 feet in the evening around 8 p.m., especially in low-lying areas and beach parking lots, though no significant damage is expected.
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