Getting Pounded : It May Feel Like Summer, but Ocean Knows It’s Winter

Lured by summer-like temperatures, surfer Pat Carey headed into the towering waves at Hermosa Beach on Friday only to get flattened by a crushing swell and rolled under a swirling sea of white water.

“I got burritoed,” the experienced surfer said. “I’m not in good enough shape for this stuff.”

Unusually large waves--some as high as eight feet--pounded Southland shores Friday and similar conditions are expected today and Sunday. County lifeguards fear that high temperatures, big crowds and large waves will result in a dangerous mix this weekend.

On Friday, the temperature at the Civic Center soared to 93, a record high for the day.

Temperatures are expected to reach into the high 80s today. As thousands headed to beaches to cool off, county lifeguards warned that only experienced swimmers and surfers should head into the swirling waters.

“People think it’s going to be summer out here but the ocean still thinks it’s winter,” said senior lifeguard Jim Boulgarides.

The high surf, which is biggest on west-facing beaches, is being generated by a strong winter storm about 1,500 miles west of San Francisco.

The storm is not expected to bring rain to Southern California, but will continue to generate large waves this weekend, said WeatherData meteorologist Dean Jones.

The high temperatures that attracted so many to Southland beaches Friday are expected to cool only slightly today and Sunday. Temperatures are still expected to reach into the low 80s at the beaches today.

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The high surf is especially dangerous because of strong rip currents along the coast, lifeguards say. Storm water runoff and large waves have caused the ocean bottom to erode in some places, creating deep holes near the shore and currents that can pull swimmers away from the beach.

The strong currents kept county lifeguard Michael Hapke busy in Manhattan Beach on Friday. Hapke spent much of the day eyeing the swirling waters near the city’s pier and warning inexperienced swimmers to avoid the waves. He expects lifeguards will do more of the same today.

With waves as high as six feet at Zuma Beach, county lifeguards made about six rescues and warned inexperienced swimmers to stay in shallow waters.