The beaches this weekend are expected to be packed, and novice swimmers should use caution when getting into the water, with an incoming south swell that will produce rip currents.

Newport Beach lifeguard Capt. Brian O’Rourke said waves are expected to be about chest-to-shoulder high on Saturday and Sunday, and novice swimmers should be careful when they are in the water, especially near rock jetties.

Click here or on the image to the right to learn how to get out of a rip current.
Rips are identifiable by the brown, discolored water, and it appears choppier. If you’re stuck, raise your arm and a lifeguard will swim out to get you.

“The surf is small, but it’s been absolutley beautiful out there,” said O’Rourke of the current conditions. “The water is clean and clear …  ”It should be a very nice, hopefully safe, weekend on the beach.”

For surfers, the small-scale swell is a nice relief from the flat lake-like conditions the past week or so along the coast.
“We’ll see what happens,” O’Rourke said. “We haven’t had much of a surf season.”

So far, this time of year has been unusually slow for lifeguards with lackluster surf conditions bringing rescue numbers down, he said.

But on the big holiday weekend coming up, he suggests beachgoers get there early to ensure a parking spot. For the past month in Newport Beach, lots have been jam-packed by 10 a.m., he said.

“Maybe because of the economy, people are using the beach more,” he said. “People should get down here early and find a parking spot, or they’ll be stuck looking for one around here.”

Down in Laguna Beach, Marine Safety Lt. Kai Bond said they are expecting large beach crowds, and guards will be on the sand warning beachgoers of any dangers out in the water. He said beachgoers should always check with a lifeguard to find out about any hazards, and should swim near a lifeguard on duty.

The swell coming through is “nothing extrememly large, but we should see swell activity,” he said. “We’re going to see rip currents and  those are things that pop up and can happen anywhere - on small days or big days.

Water temps have warmed up a bit, to a cozy mid-60s.

Want to know more about beach safety?

This weekend marks Beach Safety Week, and lifeguards in Huntington Beach are inviting the public to stop in for an open house at their headquarters at 103 Pacific Coast Highway, Huntington Beach.

The event will showcase a number of beach safety displays, brochures, coloring books, and educational videos. Children will be permitted to have photos in the Toyota Lifeguard Rescue Truck and aboard the Honda Rescue Watercraft.

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