A mega swell continued to batter California with big waves on Friday, Dec. 29, drawing surfers and spectators to the coastline to soak in nature’s spectacle.
The swell had dropped slightly following the previous day of massive waves that made headlines across the state. While the Southern California region fared better than the northern and central coast, which saw waves upward 25 feet, there was plenty of water moving around Friday creating hazardous conditions at local beaches.
And it’s not over, with an even bigger swell expected to fill in on Saturday, which could mean waves close to 20 feet in some areas. Combined with a morning high tide, flooding in low-lying areas could cause trouble for streets, structures and parking lots that line the coast.
Because of the potential of larger waves, officials plan to close Bolsa Chica State Beach on Saturday until noon, following the lead of other State Parks shorelines, including Ventura and San Lois Obispo, said State Parks Superintendent Kevin Pearsall. The Manhattan Beach pier is also set to be closed through Sunday.
Waves and the high tide were so strong Friday morning, beachgoers scrambled to get out of the ocean’s path as the water reached up to the bike path. Waves on Saturday are expected to be double the size, said Pearsall.
Workers stayed busy Friday reinforcing a 7-foot sand berm to keep the ocean from damaging the beach’s parking lots and reaching into Pacific Coast Highway. Last January a winter swell damaged the pathway and parking lots and they remained closed for months for repairs.
In the South Bay, the water reached the beach pathway at Torrance Beach. Beach erosion has caused escarpments along a number of beaches and the tide was running up to restrooms on narrower stretches like Redondo Beach, said Carol Baker, deputy director for Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors.
At one point along Will Rogers State Beach, erosion had made the sand impassible for maintenance vehicles, she said.
The big swell also delayed the start of a 5-month-long, $7.18 million sand dredging project in Marina del Rey’s harbor until Monday, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors.
Los Angeles Fire Department Lifeguard spokesperson Pono Barnes said waves were 8 to 12 feet in the South Bay on Friday, but are expected to be 15 to 18 feet on Saturday in areas like Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach.
A boat near Dockweiler beach washed ashore and was broken into pieces, Barnes said.
“One of the reasons we are closing is because of safety reasons,” Pearsall said of the morning closure at Bolsa Chica, quipping that it’s a good time to go to the mountains. “It’s going to be a large one and safety is the first concern and people need to make that their priority when they want to come watch Mother Nature.”
Some had to learn the hard way.
Matt Wiehl was standing on a picnic table when a big wave crashed on him, giving him a salt-water shower. He threw his fists in the air with glee, happy he wasn’t knocked down by the force.
“I wasn’t expecting that,” he said. “I thought I was at a safe distance, but I still got some rain showers from the ocean. I just love to see the power of the waves.”
Surfer Eric McCreery was taking a break after a brutal paddle, he said. “This is great, you wait all year for days like this.”
Novice should stay clear of the ocean, lifeguards warn, saying conditions are for expert wave riders only.
A kayaker off Huntington Beach found himself in trouble late Thursday as the swell filled in near Dog Beach, his vessel tipping over, said Marine Safety Battalion Chief Trevor McDonald.
Though the man needed lifeguard rescue, he was unharmed, McDonald said.
Huntington Beach also suffered from severe erosion, especially on the north side of the pier, and lifeguard towers had to be pulled away from the ocean’s threat.
In Long Beach, a small waves sneaked in past the breakwater, a rare sight for the region that only sees surf when the swell direction is just right.
Two kids watch the waves near the pier in Seal Beach, CA on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A surfer bails out on a wave at the pier in Seal Beach, CA on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Powerful surf continued to roll onto beaches including Manhattan Beach on the West Coast and Hawaii on Friday as a big swell generated by the stormy Pacific Ocean pushed toward shorelines, causing localized flooding. Forecasters urged people to stay off rocks and jetties, and to not turn their backs to the ocean because of the danger of sneaker waves. (Contributing photographer Chuck Bennett)
Powerful surf continued to roll onto beaches including Lunada Bay on the West Coast and Hawaii on Friday as a big swell generated by the stormy Pacific Ocean pushed toward shorelines, causing localized flooding. Forecasters urged people to stay off rocks and jetties, and to not turn their backs to the ocean because of the danger of sneaker waves. (Contributing photographer Chuck Bennett)
A crew with a front end loader moves a lifeguard tower across a flooded beach away from the crashing waves just south of the Huntington Beach Pier in Huntington Beach, on Friday morning, Dec. 28, 2023. Large waves continued to hit the coastline for the second day causing flooding and beach erosion. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Large waves crash on the coastline and over the railroad tracks in southern San Clemente on Friday morning, Dec. 28, 2023. For the second day, heavy surf continued to hit the Southern California beaches causing flooding and beach erosion. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A surfer rides a wave at Belmont Shore in Long Beach, CA on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Cole Hill and Ashley Brown check out the high tide from atop a berm on Alamitos Peninsula in Long Beach, CA on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A man on a picnic table taking video as waves crash onshore at Capistrano Beach in Dana Point on Friday morning, Dec. 28, 2023. Large waves continued to hit the coastline for the second day causing flooding and beach erosion. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A man stands near a parking lot taking video as waves crash onshore at Capistrano Beach in Dana Point on Friday morning, Dec. 28, 2023. Large waves continued to hit the coastline for the second day causing flooding and beach erosion. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A surfer rides a wave at the pier in Seal Beach, CA on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A body boarder rides a wave at the pier in Seal Beach, CA on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Cole Hill and Ashley Brown check out the high tide from atop a berm on Alamitos Peninsula in Long Beach, CA on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A surfer and body boarder ride a wave at the pier in Seal Beach, CA on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A surfer rides a wave at Belmont Shore in Long Beach, CA on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Large waves crash on the coastline and over the railroad tracks in southern San Clemente on Friday morning, Dec. 28, 2023. For the second day, heavy surf continued to hit the Southern California beaches causing flooding and beach erosion. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A surfer watches the waves as he stands under the Huntington Beach Pier in Huntington Beach, on Friday morning, Dec. 28, 2023. Large waves continued to hit the coastline for the second day causing flooding and beach erosion. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A surfer runs past beach erosion just south of the Huntington Beach Pier in Huntington Beach, on Friday morning, Dec. 28, 2023. Large waves continued to hit the coastline for the second day causing flooding and beach erosion. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A man stands near a parking lot taking video as waves crash onshore at Capistrano Beach in Dana Point on Friday morning, Dec. 28, 2023. Large waves continued to hit the coastline for the second day causing flooding and beach erosion. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Powerful surf continued to roll onto beaches including Hermosa Beach on the West Coast and Hawaii on Friday as a big swell generated by the stormy Pacific Ocean pushed toward shorelines, causing localized flooding. Forecasters urged people to stay off rocks and jetties, and to not turn their backs to the ocean because of the danger of sneaker waves. (Contributing photographer Chuck Bennett)
Powerful surf continued to roll onto beaches including Lunada Bay on the West Coast and Hawaii on Friday as a big swell generated by the stormy Pacific Ocean pushed toward shorelines, causing localized flooding. Forecasters urged people to stay off rocks and jetties, and to not turn their backs to the ocean because of the danger of sneaker waves. (Contributing photographer Chuck Bennett)
Powerful surf continued to roll onto beaches including Lunada Bay on the West Coast and Hawaii on Friday as a big swell generated by the stormy Pacific Ocean pushed toward shorelines, causing localized flooding. Forecasters urged people to stay off rocks and jetties, and to not turn their backs to the ocean because of the danger of sneaker waves. (Contributing photographer Chuck Bennett)
Powerful surf continued to roll onto beaches including Hermosa Beach on the West Coast and Hawaii on Friday as a big swell generated by the stormy Pacific Ocean pushed toward shorelines, causing localized flooding. Forecasters urged people to stay off rocks and jetties, and to not turn their backs to the ocean because of the danger of sneaker waves. (Contributing photographer Chuck Bennett)
Powerful surf continued to roll onto beaches including Lunada Bay on the West Coast and Hawaii on Friday as a big swell generated by the stormy Pacific Ocean pushed toward shorelines, causing localized flooding. Forecasters urged people to stay off rocks and jetties, and to not turn their backs to the ocean because of the danger of sneaker waves. (Contributing photographer Chuck Bennett)
Powerful surf continued to roll onto beaches including Lunada Bay on the West Coast and Hawaii on Friday as a big swell generated by the stormy Pacific Ocean pushed toward shorelines, causing localized flooding. Forecasters urged people to stay off rocks and jetties, and to not turn their backs to the ocean because of the danger of sneaker waves. (Contributing photographer Chuck Bennett)
Powerful surf continued to roll onto beaches including Hermosa Beach on the West Coast and Hawaii on Friday as a big swell generated by the stormy Pacific Ocean pushed toward shorelines, causing localized flooding. Forecasters urged people to stay off rocks and jetties, and to not turn their backs to the ocean because of the danger of sneaker waves. (Contributing photographer Chuck Bennett)
Janet Robertson, a 35-year Torrance resident who walks the lower bike path regularly, got a wet reminder of the “don’t turn your back on the ocean” rule.
Spotting some sea glass on what was left of the sand near a volleyball net, the water sneaked up behind her and she got wet up to her calves.
“I turned my back to it and I was just shocked that it came that hard, ” she said. “It could have knocked me down. I’m just glad I got away from it.”
A woman next to her had to jump onto the nearby hillside to escape getting wet.
Lifeguards are recommending people stay out of the water because the large surf and rip currents can be life threatening.
Also, stay off of all coastal jetties, piers, rocky shoreline and other waterside infrastructure.
A High Surf Warning by the National Weather Service is expected to be in place until 10 p.m. Saturday.
