Some people didn’t get the memo that most beaches were closed for the Fourth of July holiday – especially the surfers out to ride bombing waves without crowds as the summer’s largest south swell slammed the shore.
Most beaches were clear of holiday revelers hoping to post up on the sand early Saturday. A hard closure was put in place by authorities for most of the Orange County and Los Angeles County coast to keep crowds away because of a spike in coronavirus cases in recent weeks.
Police and lifeguards spent the morning shoo’ing away people on the sand and calling surfers out of the water, but at the busiest surf spots including Malibu, Doheny State Beach, the Wedge in Newport Beach and a few other of California’s prime surf locals, the rumble of the waves must have been too loud for them to hear authorities’ warnings.
A group of five surfers and bodyboarders sat waiting for waves just south of the Balboa Pier early Saturday while three police officers stood watching from the beach, after unsuccessfully beckoning them to come in. Lifeguards sat in their towers looking bored, with no beach crowds to watch over.
A big crowd gathered early morning down the beach at the famous Wedge, lining the sand as 15-foot waves and even some 25-foot sets slammed the shore. Many people left after being kicked off by authorities, with a helicopter making announcements from the air. A handful of surfers and bodyboarders remained in the water through the morning scoring a few building-size, foamy waves.
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A body surfer gets churned around in a wave at the Wedge in Newport Beach on Saturday, July 4, 2020. Lifeguards reported waves as big as 25 feet. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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A body surfer goes feet-over-head at the Wedge in Newport Beach on Saturday, July 4, 2020. Lifeguards reported waves as big as 25 feet. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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Body surfers high-five after riding in a giant wave at the Wedge in Newport Beach on Saturday, July 4, 2020. Lifeguards reported waves as big as 25 feet. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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Workers put up fencing at the entrance to the Wedge in Newport Beach on Saturday, July 4, 2020. Despite he beach being closed because of the coronavirus pandemic, hundreds of people flocked to the shore to see jaw-dropping large waves. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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Despite fencing put up around the closed beach at the Wedge in Newport Beach people still found a way around it on Saturday, July 4, 2020. They wanted to see surfers in waves that were up to 25-feet tall. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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Beaches were closed but spectators couldn’t resist coming to the Wedge in Newport Beach to watch monster waves on Saturday, July 4, 2020. Although the beach was fenced off, Newport Beach police had to clear the area several times. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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Beaches were closed but spectators couldn’t resist coming to the Wedge in Newport Beach to watch monster waves on Saturday, July 4, 2020. Although the beach was fenced off, Newport Beach police had to clear the area several times. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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A lifeguard rescue boat gets tossed around at the Wedge in Newport Beach on Saturday, July 4, 2020. Waves were as high as 25 feet.(Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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A body surfer gets churned around in a wave at the Wedge in Newport Beach on Saturday, July 4, 2020. Lifeguards reported waves as big as 25 feet. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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A surfer gets ready to hit the water at the Wedge in Newport Beach on Saturday, July 4, 2020. Lifeguards reported waves as big as 25 feet. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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A body surfer drops down into a wave at the Wedge inNewport Beach on Saturday, July 4, 2020. Lifeguards reported waves as big as 25 feet. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Spectators reappeared throughout the morning to watch the surf show; at one point police officers had to start threatening arrests. Their warnings worked, with no one on the sand by noon but a lifeguard watching the water where only two or three bodysurfers bobbed waiting for waves.
Dozens of surfers at Malibu and Topanga were catching epic rides with the season’s best south swell, but elsewhere in Los Angeles County, including Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach Pier were eerily empty.
The same scene played out at some of Southern California’s most popular beaches, including Bolsa Chica and Huntington Beach, where large stretches of sand usually jam packed with people looked more like a deserted desert.
Chain-linked fences were wrapped around some stretches of coast and parking lots were closed. Police officers stood watching over the sand, stopping anyone trying to get to the water or wanting to hang out for a beach day. Billboard signs leading into beaches announced the closures.
The scene is a stark difference to other Fourth of July celebrations in the past, a day that is typically the busiest along the coastline, with umbrellas and beach towels wedged close to one another as people clamor for a spot on the sand. Some looking for prime spots or fire rings typically show up before sunrise to claim their piece of sandy real estate.
Revelers were filing into the streets of West Newport on the Balboa Peninsula throughout the afternoon, with house parties raging and the beach boardwalk starting to fill up. Some people tried to remove fences from the beach.
While most beaches will remain closed the rest of the weekend, there are a few exceptions. Lower Trestles was jam packed with surfers, with the stretch of beach technically open but lot closures put in place by State Parks to discourage crowds from showing up.
In San Clemente, the only stretch of beach that didn’t close the sand or put in parking restrictions, umbrellas popped up through the morning. At noon, many beachgoers said crowds were thinner than expected, considering it was the only beach open.
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Umbrellas, blankets and towels are socially distanced apart in San Clemente on Saturday, July 4, 2020. With most of Southern California’s coastline shut down for the Fourth of July holiday due to a spike in coronavirus cases, the beach in San Clemente remains open as crowds, socially distanced, fill the sand even with high surf. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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Young beach goers carry their body boards along the San Clemente Pedestrian Beach Trail in San Clemente on Saturday, July 4, 2020. With most of Southern California’s coastline shut down for the Fourth of July holiday due to a spike in coronavirus cases, the beach in San Clemente remains open as crowds, socially distanced, fill the sand even with high surf. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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Lexi Edwards, right, walks Philly along the San Clemente Pedestrian Beach Trail in San Clemente on Saturday, July 4, 2020. With most of Southern California’s coastline shut down for the Fourth of July holiday due to a spike in coronavirus cases, the beach in San Clemente remains open as crowds, socially distanced, fill the sand even with high surf. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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A surfer makes his way under the railroad tracks after a morning of surfing just north of the San Clemente Pier as a large swell hit the beaches of Orange County on Saturday, July 4, 2020. With most of Southern California’s coastline shut down for the Fourth of July holiday due to a spike in coronavirus cases, the beach in San Clemente remains open as crowds, socially distanced, fill the sand even with high surf. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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Umbrellas socially distanced in San Clemente on Saturday, July 4, 2020. With most of Southern California’s coastline shut down for the Fourth of July holiday due to a spike in coronavirus cases, the beach in San Clemente remains open as crowds fill the sand even with high surf. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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Beach goers roll a barbecue along the San Clemente Pedestrian Beach Trail in San Clemente on Saturday, July 4, 2020. With most of Southern California’s coastline shut down for the Fourth of July holiday due to a spike in coronavirus cases, the beach in San Clemente remains open as crowds, socially distanced, fill the sand even with high surf. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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A woman takes a selfie among the umbrellas in San Clemente on Saturday, July 4, 2020. With most of Southern California’s coastline shut down for the Fourth of July holiday due to a spike in coronavirus cases, the beach in San Clemente remains open as crowds, socially distanced, fill the sand even with high surf. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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A surfer falls off his board just north of the San Clemente Pier as a large swell hit the beaches of Orange County on Saturday, July 4, 2020. With most of Southern California’s coastline shut down for the Fourth of July holiday due to a spike in coronavirus cases, the beach in San Clemente remains open as crowds, socially distanced, fill the sand even with high surf. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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A group of umbrellas offer shade for beach goers in San Clemente on Saturday, July 4, 2020. With most of Southern California’s coastline shut down for the Fourth of July holiday due to a spike in coronavirus cases, the beach in San Clemente remains open as crowds, socially distanced, fill the sand even with high surf. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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Beach goers stop to watch surfers just north of the San Clemente Pier as a large swell hit the beaches of Orange County on Saturday, July 4, 2020. With most of Southern California’s coastline shut down for the Fourth of July holiday due to a spike in coronavirus cases, the beach in San Clemente remains open as crowds, socially distanced, fill the sand even with high surf. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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As high surf pounds up against the rocks, surfers enter the water just north of the San Clemente Pier in San Clemente as a large swell hit the beaches of Orange County on Saturday, July 4, 2020. With most of Southern California’s coastline shut down for the Fourth of July holiday due to a spike in coronavirus cases, the beach in San Clemente remains open as crowds, socially distanced, fill the sand even with high surf. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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With most of Southern California’s coastline is shut down for the Fourth of July holiday due to a spike in coronavirus cases, the beach in San Clemente remains open as crowds, socially distanced, fill the sand even with high surf, on Saturday, July 4, 2020, in San Clemente. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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Beach goers enter the water just north of the San Clemente Pier in San Clemente on Saturday, July 4, 2020. With most of Southern California’s coastline shut down for the Fourth of July holiday due to a spike in coronavirus cases, the beach in San Clemente remains open as crowds, socially distanced, fill the sand even with high surf. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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Umbrellas, blankets and towels are socially distanced apart in San Clemente on Saturday, July 4, 2020. With most of Southern California’s coastline shut down for the Fourth of July holiday due to a spike in coronavirus cases, the beach in San Clemente remains open as crowds, socially distanced, fill the sand even with high surf. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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A surfer heading for the water passes by a lifeguard along the railroad tracks just off the San Clemente Pedestrian Beach Trail in San Clemente on Saturday, July 4, 2020. With most of Southern California’s coastline shut down for the Fourth of July holiday due to a spike in coronavirus cases, the beach in San Clemente remains open as crowds, socially distanced, fill the sand even with high surf. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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Flags in the sand in San Clemente on Saturday, July 4, 2020. With most of Southern California’s coastline shut down for the Fourth of July holiday due to a spike in coronavirus cases, the beach in San Clemente remains open as crowds, socially distanced, fill the sand even with high surf. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
“Everyone is kind of staying to their own,” said Julia Groves, who came from Los Angeles for a weekend vacation with her four daughters and mom, Melony Weaver, who was visiting from out of town.
It was the first time in a decade Weaver had seen the ocean.
“I live in Ohio, it’s the Midwest. We scored a good parking spot too,” she said.
Morning high tides combining with big surf kept sand space at a minimum, though as the tide started to drop in the afternoon more people came down with beach towels to lounge. Lifeguards stayed busy warning people taking a dip about strong surf.
Only a handful of surfers were out braving the big waves. Lynn Nelson watched from the top of a staircase – with no beach below and waves slamming onto rocks lining the railroad tracks – to watch her son Christian Nelson.
“The waves have been big the past couple days, that’s really kept people away,” she said. “It’s just your local surfers out here, so it’s cool.”
San Clemente resident Pam Forkner said it’s likely the lack of fireworks at the pier, or the fear that the small beach town was going to be overrun by people from other closed-down areas, that kept people from showing up.
“If they were going to do the fireworks, they would come out to stake out a spot to watch it,” she said. This city moved the show inland to a park this year for people to watch from home. “They were probably afraid because they knew this was the only beach, that everybody was going to be here. We’re only here because we can just go home. It’s usually crazier than this on the Fourth.”
The swell started showing in force on Friday, causing flooding in Newport Beach and a few near-death rescues, including one that sent a lifeguard to the hospital after saving two teenagers near the Balboa Pier.
“He rescued one person and went back for another. After the second rescue, he collapsed on the sand. He put everything he had into that second rescue,” Newport Beach city spokesman John Pope said. “He basically saved two lives yesterday. There were two teenagers in big trouble.”
The lifeguard was released from Hoag Hospital at 10 p.m. Friday with no severe injuries.
It’s not the first time big waves have hit during the Fourth of July holiday. Last time the region saw waves this big from a southern hemisphere swell was when Newport Beach lifeguard Ben Carlson died in 2014 during a rescue on July 6 at the end of a busy holiday weekend.
The many rescues on Friday illustrated one of the reasons officials opted to shut down many beaches. With Los Angeles County announcing it was closing earlier in the week, authorities worried other beaches would face descending crowds, leading to a domino of closures along the coast.
In Newport Beach, after two lifeguards tested positive for coronavirus and another two dozen were quarantined, being able to keep holiday revelers safe during a big swell became even more of a concern.
“All those things came into the conversation. Our lifeguard staff was going to be spread thin, we had enough coverage but there wasn’t any backup,” Pope said. “Once the surf hit with greater force than expected, we wouldn’t have had that back up.”
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