Weather is hot, but the water’s not

Sue Doyle

NEWPORT BEACH -- People packing local beaches for relief from rising

temperatures in inland cities may have found a little more cooling than

they bargained for Tuesday as water temperatures chilled to icy levels.

Breezy winds from the west are to blame for the dramatic drop in water

temperature, which plummeted to the low 60s.

However, cool water was certainly a sought-after commodity Tuesday as

temperatures spiked to more than 90 degrees throughout the county, and

even 92 degrees in Costa Mesa, sending many searching for ways to beat

the heat.

As for the cool sea water, it could disappear as soon as it arrived.

Just two months ago, water temperatures broke 70 degrees, said Capt.

Jim Turner of the Newport Beach Fire and Marine Department.

Still, the chilly water hasn’t gone unnoticed by beachgoers. Many

found it unbearable.

“I got out right away. I like to play around in the water, but it was

too cold,” said Andrea Durrett of Mission Viejo.

The cold water wasn’t the only disappointment.

At The Wedge, some die-hard surfers sat on the sand, staring at the

water in disbelief because the waves were so small.

Ted Gaski of Lake Forest kicked his fins around the water’s edge.

“The shape isn’t good and the height isn’t good,” Gaski said. “It’s

just in bad shape.”

But a new southwest swell is expected to arrive in the area Friday,

bringing 3- to 4-foot waves, which make for better surf conditions, said

Chris Borg of Surfline.

Yvonne Reyes of Walnut sat in the shade with her leashed dog,

Elizabeth. Reyes didn’t care about water temperatures or surf conditions,

but was anxiously awaiting 5 p.m. -- the time she could let her dog loose

in the water.

It’s a routine the pair repeats three to four times a week.

“My puppy is dying to go into the water,” Reyes said. “I’ll bring my

dog in -- and I’ll go in, too.”

On Wednesday, expect patchy clouds to burn off by midmorning. The sun

will blaze through, but winds will keep temperatures at the beach in the

low 70s, Borg said.