The changing conditions prompted the weather service this morning to downgrade its high-surf warning to an advisory level for north facing shores on Kaua'i, O'ahu, Molokai and Lanai.

The weather service predicted wave faces of 15 to 20 feet today, dropping to 10 to 15 feet by tomorrow.

The warning remained in effect for Maui and the Big Island, however. Maui could see wave faces of up to 25 feet, the weather service predicted.

But lifeguards on O'ahu's North Shore said the surf was larger than forecast. Lt. John Hoogsteden said waves, measured in the traditional Hawaiian scale, were rolling in at 15 to 20 feet ­ making them about twice as large as what the weather service forecast.

"It is not as big as yesterday, but it is still large," Hoogsteden said.

Beaches remained closed and the waves were too unruly for even the expert surfers, he said.

Yesterday, North Shore lifeguards said waves were 20 to 25 feet with occasionally larger sets ­ again, measured in the traditional scale.

There were no injuries on O'ahu, but Big Island firefighters reported a 50-year-old man died after being swept out to sea by a strong current. The man had been standing in the surf at Ho'okena Beach in South Kona.

The man was brought to shore by surfers, firefighters said, and bystanders were administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation when firefighters arrived. Paramedics continued to try to get the man breathing again, but to no avail. The man was pronounced dead by about 5 p.m.

John Cummings, a spokesman for O'ahu Civil Defense, said volunteers helping to evacuate people on the North Shore Saturday night thought the waves pounding the shore were 30 feet to 40 feet high.

Police, firefighters and Civil Defense volunteers went door to door or used a public address system to advise families on Ke Nui, Ke Iki and Kewa'ena roads to leave their homes. Campers from Kai Aka Beach Park and Mokule'ia Beach Park were also advised to move to Red Cross shelters.

Civil Defense called for the evacuation after water started to enter homes on Ke Nui Road, Cummings said.

Lifeguards closed beaches yesterday and spent most of the day trying to keep the public out of harm's way.