Big surf is expected to continue pounding Hawaii’s south shores Tuesday, though wave heights are slowly declining.
A high-surf advisory remains in effect until 6 p.m. Tuesday, with 6- to 9-foot surf in the forecast for south shores, according to the National Weather Service office in Honolulu.
The late-summer swell, which got underway Friday night, peaked Sunday afternoon through Monday with waves rolling in at heights between 8 and 12 feet.
Surf began dropping late Monday afternoon to 7 to 10 feet.
Lifeguards had a busy day on Oahu’s South Shore on Monday, with 44 rescues and 1,100 warnings issued. On Sunday there were 51 rescues and 805 warnings.
At Sandy Beach, near Oahu’s southernmost tip, there were 10 rescues and 375 warnings issued Monday, compared with 13 rescues and 500 preventive actions Sunday.
The Ocean Safety Division urges beachgoers to follow lifeguard directives and use extreme caution.
Shayne Enright, spokeswoman for the Department of Emergency Management, said the spike in the rescues and preventive actions was likely tied to beachgoers unfamiliar with South Shore swells venturing out into the ocean.
"It went very well these last two days," Enright said, "except for an unfortunate incident" Sunday involving a local 54-year-old man who lost consciousness and had no pulse at Sandy Beach. She credits bodyboarders who took notice and helped lifeguards bring in the man. Paramedics transported the man in serious condition to a hospital.
Enright said, "People need to look out for one another because there are only so many lifeguards."
Surf along west- and north-facing shores is forecast to be 3 to 5 feet Tuesday.
Surf along east-facing shores is expected to be 1 to 3 feet through Tuesday.
