Beachgoers warned about huge waves

MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif. (KABC) -- A high surf advisory is good news for surfers, but with huge waves this weekend everyone heading to the beach needs to be careful.

Western-facing beaches will see huge waves- Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach and Seal Beach may see waves as high as 10 to 12 feet.

At the El Segundo jetty, the waves were a sight to behold on Friday. On days like these only experts surf the area known for good reason as "Hammerland."

Tyler Hatzikian, of Tyler Surfboards in El Segundo, designed a big wave board especially for the conditions at Hammerland.

Even though the surf is high, he said an ideal wave only comes around every 20 to 25 waves.

"The tide was a little high this morning making it hard to get up, but some of the lulls are pretty long so you're waiting around a little bit getting cold," said Hatzikian.

Los Angeles County lifeguards said there are strong rip currents, and only expert swimmers should be in the water.

"Experienced swimmers use rip currents to access the waves," said Capt. Greg Lee. "They are sort of like an escalator out to where the surfable waves are. But for swimmers it's deadly."

The impressive waves and the skilled surfers riding them combine for a great photo op; professional and amateur photographers snapped plenty of shots.

The monster waves are being generated by a big storm in the Central Pacific. The advisory lasts until Saturday. High tide at El Porto will be at 7:30 a.m., which will be a good time to watch the waves.

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