Big surf pounds O'ahu shores

By Mike Gordon and Will Hoover
Advertiser Staff Writers

A strong, slow-moving storm delivered on its promise of powerful waves along north- and west-facing shores today, but they were either more challenging than usual or too gnarly to surf.

Lifeguard Jerry Miller put a red flag on a warning sign today at Rock Piles. Waves tossed debris at cars parked by the popular surf spot. Bruce Asato • The Honolulu Advertiser

The cleanest, ridable waves were on O'ahu's North Shore, where two dozen surfers crowded the morning lineup at Waimea Bay and spectators lined the guardrails overlooking the ocean, hooting and hollering at each daredevil takeoff. Competition was so fierce that when one monster wave rose, seven surfers caught it.

Lt. Pat Kelly, a city lifeguard on the north shore, said the swell direction made it more difficult than last week's big waves. Waves occasionally washed over Kamehameha Highway, tossing rocks and debris at parked cars by Rock Piles.

"People don't realize how powerful these waves are," said Kelly, who used a bullhorn to bark safety orders. "They can wash an entire car away."

Conditions were far from ideal along west-facing shores.

West-facing shores on O'ahu were expecting 15- to 25-foot wave faces, rarely seen along that stretch of coastline, the weather service said. Those shores along Lana'i, Maui and the Big Island were bracing for similar, but slightly smaller surf.

"It's ugly out here," said Lt. Kelly Krohne, a city lifeguard on O'ahu's leeward coast. "It is stormy and rainy."

Krohne said the waves this morning occasionally rose to "10- to 12-foot sets" when measured under the Hawaiian scale, which generally underestimates by half the size of a wave face.

But the swells were inconsistent and that could be dangerous, he said.

"It goes totally small and then a wave comes out of nowhere, so people have to be careful," he said.

There were no reports of surf-related problems this morning.

"We've gotten very lucky," said John Cummings, spokes-man for O'ahu Civil Defense. "So far so good."

Kaua'i County lifeguards reported wave faces of 20 to 25 feet today on north-facing shores, said county spokeswoman Cyndi Mei Ozaki.

No beaches were closed, but swimmers and snorkelers were told to stay out of the water from Kilauea Lighthouse to Polihale.

The waves were generated — and as of this morning were still being generated — by a storm west-northwest of the state, said Bob Burke, a weather service forecaster. Winds of 40 to 50 knots were pointed directly at Hawai'i.

"(It's) a fairly big storm," he said.

Reach Mike Gordon at mgordon@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8012. Reach Will Hoover at whoover@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8038.