Storm makes waves

The surf certainly picked up in Huntington Beach and Newport Beach on this week’s Big Wednesday, although in different spots than expected. Some sets hit nearly 10 feet at the rocky groins near 28th and 30th streets. The Santa Ana River mouth was large but not rideable, local surfers said.

In Huntington Beach only a handful of riders braved the waves, which were at least five feet higher and completely exposed to the current.

Early-morning surfers saw rough, murky waters in Newport Beach in the morning. And things did not clean up until about 9 a.m. just as Surfline.com forecasters predicted.

Even though things have gotten better, the surf was nowhere near clean enough as wave riders battled a wickedly strong current from the north. The rides were spotty with only a few barrel runs by seasoned professionals.

“There are fewer people getting good rides and a lot just sitting out there waiting,” said former surfboard shaper Chris Kuhta. “I sure hope it gets a lot cleaner.”

“It’s a great day for us old guys to watch,” Kuhta’s friend Paul Slavik said.

Newport was probably one of the more crowded beaches since it was protected from the side-winding current by the groins along the northern half of the Balboa Peninsula.

Slavik, Kuhta and their friend Nick Mahan started the day in Huntington Beach, but moved to the Newport side because the current was too tough in Huntington.

“I’ve never seen it like that before,” Mahan said. “It was comical — some of those guys paddling out there. The waves were unmakeable.”

The current along the shore was so strong “you’d just see guys out there dragged down from one lifeguard tower to the next,” Mahan said.

Huntington Beach resident George Grote said the same thing just before hitting the surf in Newport Beach. Grote and his son had checked out several breaks between the two cities, but didn’t dare brave the waters at Bolsa Chica State Beach where waves easily cleared 15 feet.

“We went and looked at it and only saw three people between Bolsa and [Huntington] pier,” Grote said.