Big waves crowd beach spots

By: North County Times | Wednesday, December 21, 2005 5:22 PM PST ∞

A surfer rides a big wave at Cardiff Reef on Wednesday afternoon as another surfer pushes through to the backside of the wave, top left.
BILL WECHTER Staff Photographer
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NORTH COUNTY ---- Big waves brought on the big traffic, coastal road troubles, and surfer rescues along North County's hot surf spots throughout Wednesday.

A storm north of California earlier this week delivered to the area waves as high as 20 feet, making it an early Christmas for avid surfers and spectators.

The southbound lanes of Highway 101 between Carlsbad and Leucadia were closed throughout the afternoon after high tide combined with the tall waves pushed debris and sand onto the roadway, flooding at least eight cars in the process, police said.

Police also closed the beach parking lot at Tamarack in Carlsbad because the pounding waves were threatening the low-lying lot.

Lifeguards up and down the coast spent the day pulling surfers out of the water. By late afternoon, lifeguards said they had rescued 80 surfers and that at least 25 surfboards had been broken by the pounding waves.

The Oceanside Municipal Pier attracted hundreds of wave watchers wanting close-up views of the surf.

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7 comment(s)[-]Go to Top

guyad wrote on Dec 22, 2005 12:41 AM:this is awesome!

jerome wrote on Dec 22, 2005 4:50 AM:in 1969 "big swell of 69" I was in same parking lot with tim "best 12 shapers in the world" (surfer mag.) HE was driving being 17 me only 14 along w/d.w.g.esq. Sun not up, see anything?....suddenly large wave over beach into pk.lot towards us. Tim Phares finds REVERSE punches peddle to the metal and i look out back window as we would have been pummelted. tamarack now that I remember.

Huh? wrote on Dec 22, 2005 12:07 PM:Jerome, if the car was going in reverse to get away from the wave wouldn't you have been looking out the front window? Please write using complete sentences. It would make your story easier to understand.

Hooba wrote on Dec 22, 2005 3:13 PM:Any slideshows of the surf? Maybe some video or something?

patrick wrote on Dec 22, 2005 7:49 PM:yeah the surf was big, i got about six 15footers yesterday, and there were a lot of people who didnt catch anything - a testament to how many people paddled out without knowing what they were getting into

brian wrote on Dec 22, 2005 9:10 PM:life is precious. be careful out there. have fun, ride a gun.

Shae wrote on Dec 27, 2005 8:03 AM:Hey everyone! I would like to obtain a clean picture of the awesome waves that hot our beaches last Wednesday. I will pay a resonable price. I would prefer a pic w/o surfers or people. Anyone?

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