Surfers’ Dream Is a Nightmare for Lifeguards : Weather: Waves that have killed one are the result of a dangerous type of Pacific storm that causes huge swells. Rescues soar as the surf continues pounding the coast.

LAGUNA BEACH —  The heavy surf that claimed one life during the weekend and continued pounding Southland beaches Monday was generated by the most treacherous type of ocean storm--one from the far-off South Pacific, lifeguards and wave forecasters said.

Swells from the storm reached eight to 10 feet as far north as Oregon and Alaska over the weekend, said Sean Collins, of Huntington Beach-based Surfline/Wavetrak, a firm that tracks storms for surfers and weather forecasters.

South-facing beaches in Orange and Los Angeles counties saw waves as high as eight feet in places--even higher in heralded surfing locales such as the Wedge in Newport Beach.

“It’s incredible,” said Huntington Beach Lifeguard Lt. Steve Seim. “Rarely do we see a swell last this long with good size.”

South Pacific storms, such as the ongoing one that began off Australia’s Tasmanian coast, can send huge waves to shore, followed by long lulls that give swimmers a false sense of security, lifeguards said.

“Swells from the Southern Hemisphere travel anywhere from 5,000 to 10,000 miles to get here . . . with long gaps between the sets,” Collins said. “This can be a more life-threatening situation.”

In Los Angeles County, lifeguards rescued 376 people during the weekend and were on their way to breaking a record for rescues during the month of July, according to Capt. Bob Buchanan. By Sunday night, 2,625 July rescues had been performed along the 31 miles of Los Angeles County coastline. The record, in July, 1983, was about 3,700, Buchanan said.

“It’s been a phenomenal month with real warm water and great beach weather,” said Randy DeGregori, assistant chief of the Los Angeles County lifeguards. “There’s very little shock to going into the ocean, so people are going in.”

Jim Jacobson, a senior Los Angeles County lifeguard, said: “We had rip currents pulling people out beyond the breakers, or into them, which is worse.”

Lifeguards in San Diego County were also reporting one of the busiest summers in years.

Chris Brewster, chief lifeguard for the city of San Diego, said mild weather and the El Nino condition that has kept water temperature in the low 70s have brought out large beach crowds and kept lifeguards busy with rescues.

For June, lifeguards made 1,126 rescues off city beaches, up from 498 in June, 1992, and 680 during the same month in 1991.

July promises to be busier. City lifeguards made 548 rescues over the Fourth of July weekend. Of those, 171 were made at Ocean Beach alone, a city record.

Although there have been no reported drownings along the San Diego County shoreline, a 64-year-old man was pulled from the surf unconscious Friday at Black’s Beach, shortly after lifeguards had finished their day shift. He is listed in critical condition at Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla.

In Oceanside, swimmers have ignored warnings of dangerous rip currents.

“You tell them and you tell them, but a lot won’t listen,” Oceanside lifeguard Jim Fleming said.

In Orange County, a 21-year-old man drowned in Laguna Beach on Sunday and 416 others were rescued from the waters off Huntington Beach and Newport Beach.

Rep. Robert K. Dornan (R-Garden Grove) and his 10-year-old grandson were among those who had to be pulled from the surf Saturday off Salt Creek Beach in Dana Point.

“If I wasn’t a good swimmer, I wouldn’t have made it,” said Dornan, 60, who was pushed under four times before a lifeguard reached him.

The body of the 21-year-old Anaheim man who ventured out Sunday into five- to six-foot surf off Laguna Beach was discovered about 5:45 a.m. Monday, police said. Ali Maysami was found about 50 feet off the Picnic Beach shore, close to where he went swimming with two friends who had gathered for a large family outing Sunday evening, said Sgt. Bob Raehauser of the Laguna Beach police.

Maysami, who had been in the country for about nine years, was killed the day after his 21st birthday, Raehauser said.

“Everyone was tremendously confused and distraught,” he said, adding that a family member indicated that Maysami “was not a proficient swimmer.”

Throughout Monday the swell had dropped, although it was still “holding strong” in the three- to five-foot range with occasional six- to eight-foot sets at south-facing beaches, Seim said. Huntington Beach and Newport Beach, as well as Topanga, Malibu and Zuma beaches were still being hit by strong surf, Collins said.

Because of the locations of offshore islands and the way certain beaches are situated, not all places are affected by the summer storms, Collins said. Beaches in Los Angeles’ South Bay, Santa Barbara and even parts of Newport Beach just north of the pier do not catch the summer swells, he said.

The surf Sunday was much like Monday’s, but perhaps slightly bigger, especially in the late afternoon, Dwinell said. The larger sets, of five to six feet, caught people off guard, Dwinell said.

Forecaster Collins said that the swell will taper off by Wednesday, but two new hurricanes off Baja California--Dora and Eugene--could generate more pounding surf without much letup.

Collins said swimmers and surfers should be cautious all week. “People should use common sense and play it safe,” he said.