ENCINITAS - Surfboard-snapping waves three to four times the height of the surfers who rode them drew hundreds of spectators to Swami's Beach on Wednesday morning in an impromptu festival celebrating the Pacific's majesty and power. View A Video

The high surf also caused some local flooding, heavy storm warnings for the weekend and instructions to exercise care around North County's beaches.

The bluff above the famous North County surf spot, known for its offshore point break and big waves, was the choice of hundreds of North County residents and ocean looky-loos armed with coffee, cameras, sweatshirts and binoculars.

Swami's, a grassy park with 100-foot Torrey Pines and king palms, is located next to the Self-Realization Fellowship campus in south Encinitas.

The high surf, the biggest so far this year, is the result of a storm system brewing 700 miles northwest of California, according to the state Department of Parks and Recreation.

A National Weather Service high-surf advisory is in place through Sunday. The waves could bring dangerous rip currents and flooding to low-lying areas, forecasters said.

The surf is expected to begin subsiding today, just as a strong storm moves in, bringing the potential for heavy rain, mudslides, flooding and snow, forecasters said.

Standing atop the seawall, lining the fence along the bluffs, and sitting on vans in the parking lot, the crowd watched as professional surfers and locals competed for a turn on storm-driven waves that lifeguards estimated at "15 feet plus."

The crowd of people, many craning their necks and standing on their toes for a better view, hissed a collective gasp at the near collision of two surfers vying for the same wave.

Twin sisters Athina and Niki Zarcades, both 33, came to watch surfers ride the big waves.

Athina, also a surfer, said she left her board "resting" at home.

"These waves are three times the height of me," said Athina, accompanied by her dog Riley, sporting a Christmas-red collar. "It's amazing, the amount of people who want to come watch Mother Nature in action."

Steve Edwards, a retired real estate agent from San Clemente, arrived early for an unobstructed view. He sat in his Volkswagen camper van, which was bedecked with poinsettias and a Christmas wreath of bright red berries.

"This is what retirement is all about - giving the boys in the water some moral support," Edwards said. "The best thing about Christmas is the big waves."

A surfer himself, Edwards said he leaves these big waves to the young bucks.

"Us old guys just hang out and root them on," he said.

Traffic on Highway 101 was stop-and-go and the parking lot at Swami's was packed by 9 a.m. as a steady parade of surfers jogged down to the beach.

Officials advised all but the most able surfers to stay out of the water.

Offshore, about 100 wave-riders crowded the water above a submerged rocky point called the "peak" that causes waves to break more than 200 yards offshore. As the big waves rolled in, five or more surfers launched themselves down the face at the same time.

"These guys are as intense as the waves," surfer Jeff Sholk said. "It's just crazy. The surf's not that big where you've got to worry about the waves. (They are) handleable, but this amount of guys out takes the spirit out of it, and it's dangerous."

As of about 5 p.m. Wednesday, lifeguards had rescued at least three dozen surfers for a variety of reasons.

All seven full-time Encinitas lifeguards were on duty in addition to three seasonal guards called in to assist, said Encinitas Lifeguard Capt. Larry Giles.

Throughout the morning a half-dozen surfers climbed back up the stairs later carrying both halves of their broken boards - testaments to the crushing power of rolling waves. Professional surfer Billy Harris said he snapped his Guy Takana board while trying to avoid a surfer on his wave and another paddling out.

Not to worry, said Harris, who works at the Ding King surfboard repair shop.

"It's no big deal to fix," he said. "And I've got tons of boards. This is just the one I knew I was going to break today."

The approaching storm could bring as much as three inches of rain to mountain areas, and one-third of an inch in the deserts, forecasters said. The storm could move in late tonight, but is expected to hit hardest Friday, with scattered showers continuing Saturday and Sunday.

The heavy rain poses a threat of flash flooding, as well as dangerous mudslides in areas burned by October's wildfires, authorities said. Crews have been setting up fiber rolls, sandbags and other devices to prevent erosion on North County hillsides, said Bill Polick, spokesman for the county Department of Public Works.

Efforts are heaviest in Fallbrook and Pauma Valley, the latter of which was hit by flooding and mud flows last week, authorities said.

"These areas have steep hillsides and were severely damaged (by fire) so they have very little vegetation to hold the soil in place," Polick said.

Polick also advised residents to keep a close eye on their surroundings and media reports on the weather.

"Pay attention to what's going on around (you)," he said. "Don't wait for Reverse 911. If you feel uncomfortable, get out."

Sandbags are available to residents at 28565 Cole Grade Road in Valley Center, 116 5th Street in Ramona and 2551 Olive Hill Road in Fallbrook. Residents may also have their property assessed for potential weather damage by calling (888) 846-0800.

Forecasters are also predicting 15 to 20 mph winds at the storm's front in the mountains and deserts. Local mountains could also receive up to a six inches of snow at elevations down to 4,000 feet, including Palomar Mountain, authorities said.

The storm could also drop funnel clouds and waterspouts on Saturday and Sunday, the weather service said.

- Contact Philip K. Ireland at (760) 901-4043 or online at pireland@nctimes.com.

Title: Huge waves arrive Wednesday Date: Dec. 5th, 2007 A pair of surfers ride huge waves and negotiate large crowds at Swami's in Encinitas on Wednesday. PLAY »