LIHU‘E — A northwestern swell continued to produce huge surf Tuesday, later becoming “lumpy and disorganized” but still dangerous, a county lifeguard said. “It’s dropped a bit since yesterday,” said Mark McKamey, north supervisor for the Kaua‘i Fire Department Ocean
LIHU‘E — A northwestern swell continued to produce huge surf Tuesday, later becoming “lumpy and disorganized” but still dangerous, a county lifeguard said.
“It’s dropped a bit since yesterday,” said Mark McKamey, north supervisor for the Kaua‘i Fire Department Ocean Safety Bureau.
King’s Reef, outside of Hanalei Bay, which only breaks when waves are 25-foot faces and larger, had only a few top-to-bottom breaks Tuesday, while at the point inside the bay waves averaged faces 15 to 25 feet, he said.
The OSB Jet Ski was in the water again all day long Tuesday, and lifeguards recorded several assists and “tons of preventions,” he said.
Assists mostly involve reuniting experienced surfers with their boards when they become separated, and bringing in inexperienced swimmers who journeyed out into the water, he said.
Reports indicate the surf got smaller at Kekaha Beach Park as well Tuesday, he said.
The first large swell of the winter provided Hanalei lifeguards with good training and experience on the Jet Ski, said McKamey, who had been a Hanalei lifeguard for 20 years before being promoted last year to the supervisor position.
