No cooling-off period here

If swimmers and surfers in Newport’s waters have felt a little like they’re in a soup pot lately, it’s been for good reason: The ocean has been a lot hotter than usual.

At the beach, the water reached a 75-degree high Wednesday, and it was 78 degrees in Newport Harbor on Friday, Newport Beach lifeguard officials said.

While weather experts such as the National Weather Service couldn’t confirm those highs are a record, locals said it’s certainly warmer than what they’re used to. The last couple of weeks, the water has been the hottest Newport Beach Lifeguard Battalion Chief Rob Williams remembers in his 21 years of service.

“We’ve seen it near these temperatures, but never consistently over a two-week period,” he said.

Lifeguards’ data showed water temperatures climbed from 70 degrees Sunday through the week, peaked at 75 degrees Wednesday, and then dropped to 67 degrees Friday after west winds brought lower layers of cold water to the top.

But it’s not going away. Continued high pressure over Newport means the weather will stay warm, probably through next week, National Weather Service forecaster Don Whitlow said.

Warm water can drive some fish deeper into the ocean in search of cold water, but for sport fishers, “actually the warm water makes the fishing better,” said Adam Stevens, who works at fishing charter service Davey’s Locker in Newport Beach.

The albacore run has been smaller than usual, but sand bass are biting, and they’ve been catching mahi-mahi that are normally farther south, he said. On Friday they caught a hammerhead shark off Newport.

For lifeguards, the warm water means more beachgoers who stay longer and spend more time in the water.

But it’s great for surfers, Surfline forecaster Charlie Fox said.

“They’re ecstatic when they don’t have to wear a wetsuit,” he said.dpt.22-wa-walkers-CPhotoInfoQ01T6RSI20060722j2s4h2ncCredit: DON LEACH / DAILY PILOT Caption: (LA)A group of youngsters walk along the breakwater wall at Big Corona State Beach, enjoying the view.