CORONA DEL MAR TODAY

Surf’s Up!

Surfers enjoyed a rare opportunity to surf along the jetties by Big Corona State Beach, while bystanders (including television camera crews) watched surfers take on 15-foot waves Friday morning at The Wedge — all part of a swell that resulted from a storm last weekend in Tahiti.

Red flags were up at Corona del Mar lifeguard stands, warning swimmers to stay out of the rough surf that included not only high waves but rip tides, and Coast Guard and Orange County Sheriff’s Harbor Patrol boats were positioned in the Newport Harbor entrance on Friday morning. Signs had been posted warning hikers not to go on the jetties, which were being hammered by surf.

While the biggest crowds were at The Wedge, dozens of spectators gathered in Corona del Mar by Inspiration Point and along Ocean Boulevard to cheer on surfers as they conquered the unusually big waves. There were long pauses between sets, then as waves crested, bystanders would hoot and snap photographs. Some surfers who had been out earlier stopped by to compare notes and watch.

The big waves are expected to last through the weekend and then drop suddenly to normal, forecasters have said. The huge surf, rip tides, extreme high and low tides and other phenomenon we’re seeing all resulted from a storm last weekend in Tahiti, which caused swells to move our direction, finally arriving yesterday afternoon.

Read out earlier coverage of the big weekend waves here.