Photo Gallery: North Shore Surf

Spectators by the hundreds swarmed the coastline of the North Shore on Wednesday to get a glimpse of enormous waves and fearless surfers waiting to catch the perfect ride.

Residents and visitors alike traveled by car, bike and foot to view the massive waves after the National Weather Service issued a high-surf warning with waves predicted to reach 25 to 35 feet. The warning was replaced by a high surf advisory at 6 a.m. today as wave heights decreased Wednesday night and dropped to 8 to 12 feet today. The advisory remains in effect until 6 a.m. Friday.

Traffic was snarled Wednesday on Kamehameha Highway near Waimea Bay, where about 1,000 people had gathered by noon to watch surfers brave the waves estimated at 15 to 18 feet.

Hours earlier, Shane Brittan of Australia stood on a bluff with a group of other spectators, watching about 40 surfers as he held his 19-month-old son, Jay. "I’m amazed at how many people are out there," he said.

Nearby, clicking sounds in quick succession came from long-lens cameras where onlookers captured images of notable rides by surfers.

George Downing, contest director of the prestigious Eddie Aikau big-wave surfing contest, stood on the beach observing the waves.

A couple of 20-foot waves occurred overnight, said Downing, who monitored the buoy reports. Most waves were 15 to 18 feet, which did not meet standards to hold the contest. "It’s not consistent enough," he said. "It has to be 20 feet and above."

Though wave conditions were not up to par to hold the Eddie Aikau, the high surf kept lifeguards busy keeping people out of the water.

On the North Shore, lifeguards administered 2,760 preventive measures and three rescues, one of which involved a bodysurfer at Waimea Bay whose fins were knocked off by the waves sometime after he jumped off a large rock at about 8:30 a.m. He was not injured.

Surf heights on the North Shore were 12 to 15 feet with occasional sets of 18 to 20 feet, said Capt. Dwight Perkins of the city Ocean Safety and Lifeguard Services Division.

On the Waianae Coast, lifeguards administered 565 preventive measures and 33 rescues. Surf heights were 10 to 12 feet with occasional sets of 15 feet.

Warning signs were posted along the North Shore warning beachgoers of the hazardous conditions.

Keith Kai of Mililani stood on the roadside at Sunset Beach, where he surfs weekly. But yesterday, he steered clear of the water. "Today is a little too out of control, a little wild," said Kai, a general contractor.

Dozens of onlookers sat on the beach at Ehukai Beach Park to watch the massive waves at Banzai Pipeline, one of the most dangerous surf breaks in the world.

JJ Lee Kwai of Portland, Ore., was among the onlookers who peppered the beach. She is vacationing in Hawaii for a month with her parents, husband Max and their 2-year-old daughter, Sunny. The Kwais, who have relatives in Hawaii and a house in Makakilo, enjoy the brief escape to Hawaii’s 79-degree weather from Portland’s 35-degree weather. "We love it," she said.

She said she was more than content just to sit on the beach, mesmerized by the powerful waves. "Just to see the waves crashing. …," she said in awe as her blue-gray eyes remained fixed on the ocean.