Posted at 11:15 a.m., Thursday, December 27, 2001

Second day of high surf draws crowds

By Mike Gordon and Will Hoover
Advertiser staff Writers

Beach-goers at Waimea Bay took a stroll yesterday while surfers took advantage of giant waves that reached 20 feet. RICHARD AMBO • The Honolulu Advertiser

For a second straight day, the ocean flexed its winter muscles along the North Shore of O'ahu.

Surfers, shutter bugs and slack-jawed onlookers were drawn today to monster waves that reached 20 feet.

Wave heights were similar yesterday but rose overnight to an estimated 20 to 30 feet. There was no damage reported to homes or property despite surf washing sand over the road in some areas.

"It's a nice surprise," said Capt. Kenison Tejada, a spokesman for the Honolulu Fire Department.

There were no calls for rescues yesterday, but today's dangerous conditions kept city lifeguards on alert.

"The waves are as big as they were yesterday morning," veteran North Shore lifeguard Pat Kelly said today.

"It is washing up all the beaches, all the way up to the vegetation line. We don't want people coming out here."

Kelly said the waves were 15 to 20 feet today off Ehukai Beach. Lifeguards kept people out of the shorebreak at Waimea Bay.

"It's still packing a wallop," Kelly said. "It is experts-only today. It is super dangerous."

From his office at the Sunset Beach fire station, Capt. George Ku of the Sunset Beach could see a crowd of 30 surfers waiting for waves at Waimea Bay.

"Waimea has quite a few guys out," Ku said. "It's about 15 feet there."

Although wave heights were expected to diminish today, more treacherous surf is on the way.

The National Weather Service reports another ocean storm north of the Islands is generating a swell that should arrive on O'ahu on Saturday or Sunday.

"I don't think the North Shore is going to have any shortage of high surf for a while," said National Weather Service forecaster Bob Burke.

The weather service now reports surf heights based on the face value of a wave, which generally doubles the size of a wave measured on the traditional local scale.

But no matter how it was measured, the waves drew respect from even experienced surfers.

"It's too much for me," said local firefighter and surfer Steve Newton. "I wouldn't touch it."