The surf outside’s delightful

Thousands of people head to the beach to celebrate, surf and work off their holiday excesses.It was sunny (for a few hours). And it was Sunday. So the beach volleyball regulars came to Corona del Mar’s Main Beach for some action.

It was also Christmas, but they didn’t seem to care.

“It’s what we love to do,” said Corona del Mar resident Mat Cox. “We live around here and we look forward to this. Even if it were a weekday Christmas, I’d still come down.”

After a hazy morning that many Newport-Mesa residents spent opening presents and visiting with family, many moved their celebration to the beach.

About 5,000 people graced the sand and boardwalks in Newport Beach, estimated Newport Beach Lifeguard Officer Josh Van Egmond

“For a cloudy, winter day, it was pretty crowded,” Van Egmond said. “The pattern is typical on Christmas. It’s slow in the morning, but when kids are released they start playing at the beach and their families follow them. It’s fun to see.”

The waters were mostly calm on Sunday -- which is the first night of Hanukkah -- after a large midweek swell that brought out extreme surfers and wave watchers.

The National Weather Service forecast office issued another high surf advisory beginning 6 p.m. Sunday and lasting through 6 a.m. Tuesday. Another west swell is scheduled to bring large waves to west-facing beaches.

According to the written warning, the swell will peak Monday at five to eight feet with sets up to 12 feet.

Storms moving across the Pacific are scheduled to bring “above-average surf through much of the week with another round of high surf likely Thursday and Friday,” according to the advisory notice.

“From what I hear, it’s going to be bigger than what we’ve seen,” Van Egmond said. “It’s rare when we get big swells in the wintertime. Last week’s was the largest winter west swell I’ve seen in 20 years.”

Van Egmond said flooding shouldn’t be a problem, because high tides won’t be that extreme this week. The best surf should be just north of the Newport Pier at Blackie’s Beach and at the Santa Ana River mouth.

On Sunday, the combination of semi-overcast skies and the holiday meant near-empty waters, an Orange County Sheriff’s Harbor Patrol officer said.

Nothing could keep Balboa Island resident Bruce Schweitzer off the sand. He had a clean slate on Christmas morning, so he decided to play volleyball.

He said the game would likely be smaller than normal. But that didn’t bother Corona del Mar resident Courtney Watson.

“I wouldn’t think of anything better to do on Christmas Day,” Watson said.

* ELIA POWERS is the enterprise and general assignment reporter. He may be reached at (714) 966-4623 or by e-mail at [email protected].

20051226is2xi3ncKENT TREPTOW / DAILY PILOT(LA)Surfers were the majority of people who ventured to the beaches on a cool Christmas Day.