A crowd of spectators dotted Waimea Bay on Wednesday to see the powerful surf up close and watch fearless surfers ride 50-foot waves.

“I could just sit here for hours,” said Barbara Heller, 68, of Knoxville, Tenn., who is on vacation with her family.

The high surf kept lifeguards busy on several of the state’s north and west shores Wednesday. On Oahu, four people were rescued on the North Shore and five on the west shore. In addition, Oahu lifeguards conducted 1,395 preventive actions along the North Shore and 829 preventive actions on the west shore.

On Kauai, four people were rescued from rough waters along the island’s north shore.

No serious injuries were reported.

A high-surf warning, which was in effect Wednesday, will continue until at least 6 a.m. today for the north and west shores of Niihau, Kauai, Oahu and Molokai as well as north shores on Maui. A high-surf advisory also was in effect for the north and west shores of Hawaii island.

The National Weather Service said high surf on north shores is expected to gradually drop to 20 to 25 feet today from 30 to 40 feet on Wednesday night. On west shores, surf was to decrease to 12 to 18 feet from 20 to 30 feet.

Overcast skies and intermittent rain did little to deter wave-watchers at Oahu’s Waimea Bay.

Ryan Hamre, 33, stood on the sand with his dark-colored covered shoes placed neatly next to his bare feet as he observed the pounding waves. A petty officer in the Navy, Hamre said he re-enlisted just so he could return to Hawaii.

“I love it,” Hamre said, adding he was last stationed on Oahu from 2009 to 2012 and returned to Hawaii last week from Charleston, S.C.

The surf peaked at 50-foot faces at about 11:30 a.m. Wednesday and subsided in the afternoon at Waimea Bay. In the coming days, Shayne Enright, spokeswoman for the Emergency Services Department, said, “There’s a chance it could get bigger than this.”

Rescue craft operator Chris Baker, who has been a city lifeguard for 22 years, said the recent high surf is yielding fairly consistent waves, with 20-foot swells every four days or thereabouts.

One surfer lost his surfboard at Waimea and was struggling to swim toward the beach when lifeguards spotted him and brought him safely ashore, said Enright.

Another surfer there paddled out and soon realized the surf was too powerful for his skill level.

“He was inexperienced, without the proper equipment, and was brought in by lifeguards,” said Enright.

Baker said they are typically even busier when the high surf tapers off because more beachgoers then enter the water: “They see people out there and think it’s OK.”

Lifeguards spent much of Wednesday urging people to steer clear of the shoreline due to rough ocean conditions.

On the west shore, surf had approximately 20-foot faces. Dangerous ocean conditions prompted the closure of Yokohama Bay.

At Lahilahi Point, lifeguards rescued a woman in her 40s who struggled in the high surf. Lifeguards responded and brought her safely to shore at the Waianae Boat Harbor.

On Kauai, four people were rescued in turbulent waters off Anini Beach, where surf heights reached 25 feet.

Kauai emergency personnel said two women were snorkeling when they were pulled by currents out past the surf break. They had bodyboards but were not wearing fins.

Two men using rescue tubes tried to help, but also ran into trouble. The four huddled together using the bodyboards and rescue tubes to stay afloat until rescue personnel arrived.

“No swimming” signs were posted along Anini Beach.

On Oahu, meanwhile, many are wondering whether the Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau big-wave contest will be held before the holding period for the event ends Feb. 29.

Organizers could not be reached Wednesday.

The one-day big-wave contest was last held on Dec. 8, 2009.

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CORRECTION: The holding period for the Quicksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau big-wave contest ends Feb. 29. A previous version of this story reported that the holding period ends Jan. 29.