Makapuu Beach Park is open today, but only if you plan to stay out of the water.

City lifeguards are urging swimmers and surfers to stay away because of dangerous conditions.

Bryan Cheplic of the city's Emergency Services Department said wave heights are down from yesterday, to 8 to 12 feet.

But Cheplic said waves are still arriving at an unusual northeast angle — the result of a wrap-around effect driven by a large north-northwest swell — and that strong trade winds are making for choppy, stormy conditions.

"It's extremely dangerous," Cheplic said.

Yesterday, lifeguards issued nearly 1,000 warnings to swimmers and surfers from Makapuu to Hanauma Bay. They also assisted 13 people from the water and performed six rescues.

On Kauai, surf of 20-plus feet was reported today on north shore beaches and ocean safety officials are urging beachgoers to stay away from the water.

Also, the Lydgate Beach ponds near the mouth of the Wailua River have been closed because of debris and runoff due to heavy overnight rain.

High surf also kept a Young Brothers barge from docking in Maui's Kahului Harbor yesterday, and waves crashing onto Hilo's Bayfront Highway closed the roadway in both directions.

A statewide high-surf warning issued by the National Weather Service remains in effect as a short period north-northwest swell continues to roll in.

The swell, which has been driving 12- to 18-foot surf, is expected to turn east-northeast later today but still will keep wave heights elevated through the weekend.