North Shore surf to diminish
By Walter Wright
Advertiser Staff Writer
The monster waves that brought out hordes of sightseers and scores of expert surfers on O'ahu's North Shore for the past two days are expected to subside to 12 to 16 feet today, after closing Waimea Bay for a second day in a row and sending high water over beachside roads in some areas.
Richard Ambo • The Honolulu Advertiser
A high-surf warning for the North Shore remained in effect overnight, with surf expected at 20 to 25 feet.
Civil Defense district official Joe Kugler, center left, and state highways worker Francis McCabe get splashed as yesterday's high surf sends a wave onto the Pakulena Stream bridge at Log Cabins. OCD and State Highways were on scene for traffic control and sand removal.
Surf on the Leeward Coast was forecast at 5 to 9 feet today after reaching up to 14 feet last night.
South-shore surf remained at 1 to 2 feet, and waves on the east shore were estimated at 1 to 3 feet.
Lifeguards stayed busy helping 11 people from the water yesterday, including a 27-year-old Texas visitor who was rescued unharmed off Makaha at 5:48 p.m.
National Weather Service forecasters said the large northwest swell responsible for the biggest waves so far this season will decrease to below high surf advisory levels on Thanksgiving Day, and a new north swell Friday and Saturday is not expected to trigger the advisory.
Richard Ambo • The Honolulu Advertiser
The "winterish pattern" will continue next week with various sources for surf, yet much below the present extreme levels, the Weather Service said.
Spectators and photographers line up to observe the monster surf at Waimea Bay. Yesterday's high surf kept the beach closed for the second day in a row.
Conditions here are being generated by weather as far away as Japan, where Typhoon Heishan turned a corner last weekend and pushed 18-foot seas eastward, with resulting surf expected to reach Hawai'i late Friday or early Saturday.
Forecasters' models indicated the same storm would strengthen rapidly north of Hawai'i today, generating 40- to 50-knot winds at sea tomorrow as it races north-northeast to Alaska by late Friday.
Another storm off Hokkaido, Japan, may provide low surf on Sunday, forecasters said.
Forecasters expect a shift away from trade winds beginning late Saturday.
Reach Walter Wright at wwright@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8054.
