At least there were no waves

An unprecedented number of warning signs appeared last weekend in

Newport Beach as water-quality tests showed high bacteria levels up

and down the beaches.

The signs are not an unfamiliar sight, though the sheer number was

shocking. They were posted from 500 feet north of Magnolia Street in

Huntington Beach through the mouth of the Santa Ana River to 500 feet

south of the Balboa Pier -- essentially the entire stretch of West

Newport and the peninsula.

Officials said the extreme tides that weekend, which swung five to

six feet, may have been a source for the high levels of pollution.

All in all, pretty bad news. Except for one thing. The ocean was

nearly as flat as Kansas, so the typical compulsion for surfers and

bodyboarders was absent.

In the end, all are healthy who don’t need to surf.