Hurricane Bill's biggest swells not for novice surfers

Cassidy Strader - cstrader@thesunnews.com

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Hurricane Bill, which will pass hundreds of miles off South Carolina's coast, is expected to bring treacherous conditions in the Atlantic Ocean, tempting surfers with predicted swells of 10 feet or more Saturday.

Ronnie Bright, who works at Village Surf Shoppe in Murrells Inlet, says business has been brisk as both novice and experienced surfers prepare for the weekend. He said both sales of new boards and board rentals have been strong all day today.

"Everybody's gearing up," Bright said. "That's usually what happens when there are rumors of swells coming."

Katie Gordon, 11, of Pawleys Island, watches the 10th annual Guy Daniels Memorial Surf-Off on Aug. 16, 2009, on the beach at 13th Avenue South in Surfside Beach. Swells from Hurricane Bill -- ideal for surfing -- are supposed to hit the S.C. coast Friday.

Hurricane tracker: View storms' paths

Bright said the shop is warning less-experienced surfers not to try to learn in the hurricane swells on Saturday. Even experienced surfers should know their limits, Bright said.

"If you think it's too big, it probably is," Bright said.

Officials warn swimmers to be cautious of rip currents this weekend, as well, according to the National Weather Service in Wilmington, N.C.

Rip currents are strong narrow channels of water that flow away from the beach. They can pull a swimmer away from the beach, and officials warn if you are caught in one to stay calm and swim parallel to the beach to escape the current, then try to swim back to shore.