With 20-foot waves breaking over 100 yards offshore and pummeling the North and West sides of Oahu last week due to the huge Northwest swell, surfers and onlookers alike flocked to the beaches to see the waves for themselves. Unfortunately, with rogue sets and massive beachbreak, plenty of people found themselves getting sucked out to sea or stuck near shore between sand and deep water — right in the danger zone.
On the North Shore at Waimea Bay, swimmers were consistently told by water patrol not to enter the angry sea, but even so, Waimea had five rescues alone, according to lifeguards. The tide was ripping towards the sharp rocks to the left in the bay, and the possibility of getting pounded by heavy waves into the rocks was real. Swimmers caught near that area were met by lifeguards on shore and water patrol if they were farther out.
Even Freddyland, the normally calmer inside break at Velzyland, saw carnage. Water Patrol had to rescue six male surfers who got caught in a strong rip. Or get a “free trip to Kauai,” as lifeguards put it. And the West Side posed a threat as well. At Makaha, 35 people were rescued.
With surf still pumping this week, on January 15th the hazard rating for the North and West sides of Oahu were given an “extreme” hazard rating by the Hawaii Beach Safety website. And it seems like everyone, from the most professional of pros to the most random tourists, were at risk of getting hurt in the surf. The same day Kala Grace hit the reef at Pipeline during the Da Hui Backdoor Shootout, four people were washed off the rocks at Shark’s Cove and “suffered lacerations and abrasions.”
All in all, it’s been a busy couple of weeks for Hawaiian Water Patrol. Many lifeguards consider it an honor to rescue those caught in riptides and work big events like Pipeline (or the Eddie) during swells like these. So don’t be afraid to thank a lifeguard next time you see one on the sand. Without them, the ocean would be a lot less safe.
