Surfers set for year’s biggest

Quality waves are expected to crash onto Newport Beach and

neighboring surf locales today, but hard-core surfers probably don’t

need to read the paper to know a south swell is on the way.

“It seems like everyone knows about it. It’s not a secret,”

Surfline forecaster Chris Borg said.

Surfline is a Huntington Beach-based online service that compiles

surf forecasts.

Bigger waves began hitting Newport on Thursday. Around noon, body

surfers at the Wedge were strapping on fins to challenge eight- to

10-foot sets. Around the same time, a fair crowd of surfers had shown

up to ride the waves near the West Newport jetties.

“It’s good size, but it’s kind of closed out. The tide’s really

low,” surfer David Holeman said on the beach near 54th Street.

Another surfer, Greg Rothstein, said Thursday’s waves were pretty

good.

“Some good rides. Good south [swell] and there’s a little bit of

north in it now. Combo swell,” Rothstein said.

In anticipation of the surf, Newport Beach plans to put more

lifeguards on the beach than would otherwise be there, Lifeguard

Capt. Jim Turner said.

“It’s already starting to show, and we’ve made some rescues

already,” he said.

If the big waves continue as expected on Saturday and Sunday,

Turner said, additional lifeguards may be called to work for the

weekend. He said most beachgoers who are not strong swimmers should

probably stay on the sand and watch the waves.

For those who do have the skills to be safe in the water, Borg is

expecting today to be a highlight of the summer.

“This is the one of the season, for sure,” Borg said.