Surfers gathered in Malibu in anticipation of huge waves. Gordon Tokumatsu reports for the NBC4 News on Dec. 27, 2023.
Surfers at Zuma Beach are waiting in anticipation for what our NBC4 First Alert Forecast team says will be the biggest swell of the year.
As weekend rainstorms approach SoCal, surfers can thank a developing Pacific storm for the swell. West and southwest-facing beaches can expect a sizable surf from it -- around 12 to 15 feet in the South Bay, Malibu and parts of Orange County.
The steady rise in wave size and strength will likely bring more surfers to the beaches over the next 48 hours. Surfers say they're closely watching conditions on apps where the cleanest sets will roll in.
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Winter is peak surfing season in Southern California, where the polar jet dips south as more storms develop over the Pacific. The results are longer-period northwest swells, and larger and more frequent swells.
Surfers like Bodie Dinnendahl and his sister Kealia couldn't wait to hit the waves and decided to get a head start.
"There'll be a lot of people out I think and the conditions, I'm sure, will be better," said Kealia. "Right now it's a little choppy with the wind. A little walled up."
In Zuma, county lifeguards have begun to patrol the sand and man the towers as surfers practice for Thursday's onslaught, a sure sign that the big waves are on the way.
"Yeah, definitely. It's going to be super fun!" said Bodie.
Lifeguards are still warning less experienced surfers and swimmers to stay out of the water as the rip currents that come with an event like this can be deadly.
