Weather from the south is bringing 20-foot surf to some California beaches, 10-foot surf to others. I went to look at it this morning.
"Oh my God!" was my first reaction.
I've never seen such big waves on the Santa Monica Beach.
Some people were in the water with boogie boards but not close to the big ones, and at 10 am no one was surfing.
Waves maybe ten feet tall towered over people standing in the water fifty feet from them.
Hundreds of people were standing on the beach watching each one roll in, occasionally saying, "Oh my!" Many people were sitting under umbrellas.
Lifeguards were running up and down the beach holding above their heads an orange floatie with handles on it. I guess that was supposed to mean, "Stay out of the deeper water." They were also talking to people who looked inexperienced and were too far out.
Yesterday a man body surfing was thrown against the rocks of a jetty in Newport Beach and was drowned.
See http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-beaches25-2009jul25,0,3538892.story
