If you’re not an expert swimmer or surfer, you may want to stay out of the ocean this week.
Big surf will be slamming the coast the next few days, caused by a southern hemisphere swell that swept across Tahiti and Hawaii and now is showing up off local So Cal beaches.
The waves will be biggest at south-facing beaches, reaching 4 feet to 6 feet and occasionally 8 feet, along areas of the Los Angeles and Orange County coastlines. Some stand-out areas, such as the Wedge in Newport, could reach 12 feet and larger by Tuesday.
“We’re also looking at very strong and dangerous rip currents and people should take extreme caution,” National Weather Service meteorologist David Sweet said. “Only swim near a lifeguard station, if you swim at all. Only experienced swimmers should attempt this, because a rip current can be very dangerous if you do get caught.”
If you are being carried out, “swim parallel to the shore until you’re out of the pull of the rip current,” Sweet said. “At that point, try and swim back to shore.”
Newport Beach Battalion Chief Adam Yacenda said the swell was building through Monday and will be strongest Tuesday. Later in the week, a hurricane swell is expected to show up.
“People are welcome to come and watch it, but we’re expecting yellow and red flags all week,” he said, referring to the safety flags lifeguards use to indicate ocean conditions.
Swimmers should know their ability and talk to a lifeguard about where it is safest to get into the water. West-facing areas, such as north of the Newport Pier or the lower jetties in West Newport would be the best bet.
“We’re expecting a little bit of a show,” Yacenda said, calling it “expert-only conditions.”
