HONOLULU -- Big surf with waves up to 16 feet pounded the south shores Wednesday and that kept lifeguards busy.
It was fun conditions for experienced surfers, but caused some hairy situations for rescue personnel, and bodysurfers.
"For us, it means: please, no beginners out there. We want experienced people," lifeguard Bill Goding said.
Lifeguards conducted 350 rescues on the South Shore and another 75 on East Oahu shores.
One problem came to Ala Moana Beach when a wave capsized a 14-foot boat at the Ala Wai Boat Harbor channel.
The Coast Guard was able to rescue four men. The boat sank, but was later salvaged and towed to Keehi Lagoon.
Another problem happened near Kewalo Basin, where a man in his 60s ran into problems trying to get out of the water.
"He was trying to come up on the rocks, up on the stairs, and he got washed away. This really big set came through," Goding said.
Nitai Logan, 17, in the junior lifeguard program pitched in.
"I paddled over and gave him my board and swam him out to the channel where there wasn't much waves breaking," Logan said.
"And even today, with experienced people out there, we've had several rescues, numerous broken boards have been coming in," Goding said.
When the waves get that big, competition to catch a wave can get intense. For example: at Point Panic, swimmers are not supposed to have any boards, but dozens of surfers filled the water there.
One surfer at Point Panic lost his board. It was retrieved with a few dents. Then he heard complaints from bodysurfers.
Officers from the state Land Department were at Point Panic to cite surfers using boards in the restricted zone. The surfers could have their boards confiscated later.
The State Department of Land and Natural Resources designated Point Panic for bodysurfers only two years ago.
Bodysurfers say Point Panic is the only area they can enjoy their sport even thoug board surfers sometimes move in.
"I know some of them that come out here and they respect the bodysurfers, but that's not the point. The point is it's only for bodysurfing," bodysurfer Kawika Wahilani said.
DLNR officers said they'll use digital photographs for possible prosecution. The officers also say they can confiscate boards when surfers come out of the water.
Board surfers can be cited and face a maximum penalty of 30 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.
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Big Surf Causes Big Problems
