Warmth Exerts Powerful Pull on Beach-Goers

The first name of the man on the beach was Michael. He was clad in sunglasses, sun tan oil and swim trunks. He was smiling a lot. If his last name were printed, he’d probably soon be unemployed.

“I just basically called my office and told them I wasn’t coming in,” he said as he browned himself on the sand at Newport Beach. “The weather had everything to do with that decision.”

Those sentiments were echoed by other Orange County beach-goers who clogged freeways and side streets Friday in a race to luxuriate in the warm sun.

The High Was 88

Highs of 88 degrees were recorded in Santa Ana, San Juan Capistrano and the Los Angeles Civic Center, tying a record for the date in Los Angeles but far behind Santa Ana’s record of 92, set in 1977. Among lows for the day were readings of 44 in San Juan Capistrano and 51 in El Toro.

“We’re in a cooling trend,” said Stan Massey of the National Weather Service. “It will be 5 to 8 degrees cooler (today) because the high pressure system is coming in from the ocean and moving east.”

Skies will be mostly clear through today, with highs near 80. Lows will range from the mid-40s to low-50s. The highs Sunday should be several degrees cooler than today’s.

Coastal fog and low clouds are expected this morning and evening, and Sunday morning and evening, but the skies should be clear otherwise both days.

Friday’s warmth and sunshine drew snorkeler Ron David of Anaheim down to the 57-degree water at Corona del Mar for the first time in six months.

Dancing With Dolphins

David and three other divers emerged from the chilly water after performing a water ballet of sorts with a school of dolphins not 50 yards from shore.

“I never knew they were there; I was looking down,” David said. “But, you know, dolphins just like to snoop around people.”

“It took me over an hour to get here on side streets from Anaheim, but it was worth it for the view down below,” David said. “There were a lot of orange fish--garibaldi.”

Too young for snorkeling, 5-year-old Eric Robert Rienhardt sloshed in the tide pools.

“I liked it because we saw a big water snake,” Eric said, plunking down a yellow plastic pail containing his catch of the day--five squirming sand crabs.

And while the question on the minds of most of Friday’s sun worshipers was, “How long will the good weather last?” Eric was indifferent.

Moving to Chicago

“I’m moving to Chicago next week,” he said, “and I’m going to play in the snow from now on.”

Some found a way to mix business and pleasure.

Michele Harrison, an Orange Coast College junior majoring in architecture, basked in the sun in an orange bikini.

“I wish it would stay like this until summertime--no more rain,” said Harrison as she studied architectural blueprints in a copy of Home Magazine.

Orange County farmers, who not 10 days ago geared up their wind machines and held late-night vigils in anticipation of a freeze, also welcomed the respite.

“This will help bring the strawberries and asparagus around faster,” said Fred Keller, vice president of agriculture for the Irvine Co. “But I doubt we’ll catch up on the 10 days or two weeks that we’re behind from the cold snap.”

A crowd of 8,000 to 10,000 strolled and basked along Laguna Beach on Friday, according to lifeguard Lt. Mark Klosterman. The surf was placid--rising about one foot--just enough for a handful of die-hard surfers, Klosterman said. But with a water visibility of 25 to 30 feet, the snorkelers clearly had the advantage.

Newport Beach reported sunbathers 40,000 strong, while the Huntington Beach crowd leveled off at about 15,000, lifeguard Steve Davidson said.