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VINCE CAVATAIO / SPECIAL TO THE STAR-ADVERTISER
Bodyboarder Mike Stewart took full advantage of the high surf Monday at Pipeline on the North Shore.
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VINCE CAVATAIO / SPECIAL TO THE STAR-ADVERTISER
A surfer looked at a large wave breaking behind him Monday at Pipeline on the North Shore. Today's forecast calls for continued strong surf of up to 10 feet on north shores and up to 8 feet on west shores.
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VINCE CAVATAIO / SPECIAL TO THE STAR-ADVERTISER
A surfer caught a wave Monday at Pipeline. Forecasters predict surf of 6 to 10 feet on the north shores and 5 to 8 on the west.
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Photo gallery: High surf
Ocean Safety personnel participated in 14 rescues and took hundreds of preventive actions as high surf pounded the north and west shores of Oahu on Monday.
In the most serious incident, three people were injured when a wave swept them away from the Shark’s Cove reef area on the North Shore.
Ocean Safety and fire rescue personnel collaborated in the rescue.
Two women, ages 19 and 20, suffered serious head injuries and multiple abrasions. An 18-year-old man also sustained minor injures. All three were transported to an area hospital by Emergency Medical Services.
Much of the action took place on the North Shore, where wave heights reached 10 feet.
Ocean Safety officials conducted 10 rescues and two assists in the area. They also took 458 preventive actions, mainly at Waimea Bay and Sunset Beach.
On the west side, where wave heights hit 5 feet, Ocean Safety personnel conducted four rescues (three at Makaha Beach) and two assists while taking 223 preventive actions.
The high surf prompted the National Weather Service to issue an advisory for north- and west-facing shores of Kauai and north-facing shores of Oahu, Molokai and Maui early Monday morning. The advisory was canceled in the afternoon.
For today, forecasters predict surf of 6 to 10 feet on north shores and 5 to 8 feet on west shores.
The current north-northwest swell is expected to gradually subside through the week. Another northwest swell is expected to arrive Sunday and might produce surf above the advisory threshold, according to the weather service.