Big waves and wipeouts hit with hurricane swell
A tropical hurricane swell from the Southern Hemisphere brought sizable surf to Orange County Tuesday, with waves in the 4-6 range that drew surf crowds to the coast before work and school.
The swell peaks today, and the National Weather Service warns swimmers and surfers to be careful in the water as the strong waves and rip currents sweep the coast.
The occasional 8-foot wave showed up in parts of Newport Beach. The swell is expected to continue through Wednesday before dropping later in the week, according to Surfine.com.
CHECK OUT SURF PHOTOS FROM HURRICANE FABIO:
Here’s more from Surfline.com forcaster Jonathan Warren on what to expect this week:
Thanks to Hurricane Fabio, a fun-size pulse of South-Southeast tropical swell will show for Orange County on Wednesday, offering many of the better exposures with surf in the waist-chest high zone (3-4′). Some of the standout spots of the region (strongest overall in North OC) will produce occasional sets up to shoulder-head high (5′).
The Fabio swell will then gradually drop off Thurs/Fri. Meanwhile, a small dose of South-Southwest swell from the South Pacific will roll in Wed-Fri with waves mainly around knee-waist high (2-3′), mixing in with the Fabio swell.
Looking further out, there is nothing major on the horizon for Southern California. Only a small-scale pulse of new South-Southwest from the South Pacific will find its way up next week. Be sure to check out Surfline.com the latest details. Have fun, be safe and we’ll see you out in the water!
