The first big swell of the season Wednesday brought 40-foot waves, dozens of ocean rescues, closed beaches, water surges on roads and fears of destructive beachfront erosion.

It also brought hordes of people and miles-long traffic jams across the North Shore.

"It was stop and go for two hours," said Jim Orchard of Edmonton, Alberta, who was gazing out at the giant waves smashing into the rocks at Sharks Cove, drawn there from his Waikiki hotel.

Oahu water safety officials reported making at least 43 rescues, 34 of which were on the west side, including 12 at Makaha. Nine rescues were made on the North Shore — six at Waimea Bay and three at Sunset Beach.

In addition, lifeguards warned more than 1,400 people away from the surf on the North Shore and some 447 people on the west side, said Shayne Enright, spokeswoman for the Honolulu Emergency Services Department.

While the waves were inconsistent and there were lulls throughout the day, Waimea Bay saw 40-foot faces and larger, prompting the closure of the beach park. The Keawaula section of Kaena State Park was also closed, as was Hapuna State Park on Hawaii island.

Michael Sanborn, 20, was on a surfer’s high after experiencing a 20-footer that he described as "the biggest, longest ride" of his life at Waimea Bay aboard a brand-new surfboard.

The crowd on shore screamed with delight when they saw Sanborn.

"It was the best feeling of my life," he said. "For real."

Officials reported occasional water surges over roadways, including at Laniakea, Three Tables, Sharks Cove and Ke Iki.

At Sunset Beach, where beachfront homes were in danger of falling into the big surf a year ago, the same homes were on fairly solid ground Wednesday. Lots of sand captured the run-up of the waves at midday.

"I feel better this year," said Matt Dalziel, a Hong Kong man who rented the same beachfront house at the time waves were threatening last winter.

Dalziel helped to place sandbags on the beach then, and he said he’s ready to do it again if need be.

"The people here are pretty resilient," he said. "If anything needs to get done, like sandbagging, we’ll all pitch in."

The Department of Land and Natural Resources sent staff to the North Shore Wednesday to monitor the area in case any erosion hot spots develop, said department spokeswoman Deborah Ward.

At Sunset Beach Park, where "no swimming" signs were posted, Bill and Becky Ross of Anchorage, Alaska, were snapping pictures of the big surf.

"This is definitely witnessing the touch of God," Bill Ross said.

"It’s beautiful."

Bonnie Restle of Perrysburg, Ohio, was also taking photos at Sunset. "They’re pretty cool, amazing," she said of the waves. "You don’t see this on the Great Lakes."

All along the North Shore, tourists and locals alike were lured by the powerful spectacle. Makeshift vendors and food trucks were everywhere, taking advantage of the visiting masses.

Brandon Fiscus of Mililani brought his own portable grill to the Sunset Beach parking lot, cooking up hamburgers for his wife and her parents, who are visiting from Idaho.

"That was the longest it took us to get here, but it was worth it. Look at that view," said Fiscus, a nurse at the Queen’s Medical Center-West Oahu.

The North Shore Surf Shop was likely to enjoy a good day at both locations — in Haleiwa and across from Sharks Cove, said owner Brandee McNamara.

While McNamara was hosting her sister on the beach near their home at Sunset Beach, her partner and husband, Liam McNamara, and their sons, pro surfers Makai and Landon McNamara, were in the water searching for big waves.

"It’s exciting and it doesn’t happen every day," she said. "But it’s also a little scary, because I don’t want them to get hurt."