Surfin’ stars; safety tips

Coming up at 10 a.m. this Saturday at the Huntington Beach Pier will be the Surfrider Celebrity Surf Jam. The stars and pros will get together in the surfing format of “the Game” to have some fun in the sun and surf. This will also try to raise awareness and support for our nation’s beaches and coastal environment, which are plagued by pollution and destruction of some our last pristine coastline.

Top pro surfers like former top 20 world standout Pat O’Connell, Pipeline and U.S. Open winner Rob Machado, top 10 world standout Taylor Knox, “Air Buster” Timmy Curran and Florida’s Damien Hobgood ? just off the big win last week in Fiji ? will be ripping it up.

Also in the water will be Incubus’s lead singer, Brandon Boyd; actor Brandon Cruz from “The Courtship of Eddie’s Father”; actress Minnie Driver; X-Games announcer Sal Masekela; and more. The Surfrider Foundation is a worthy cause with the protection and enhancement of our coastal environment in mind. Maybe you should join, too.

With summer just starting to kick off, here are a few tips for while you are at the beach.

Before you go out swimming or surfing, do a little stretching first to loosen up those muscles. No drugs or alcohol should be taken before entering the ocean. Check out the situation ? look to see if there are currents pulling in either direction. There could be obstacles to avoid, such as rocks, jetties, a pier or reefs. The currents could pull you toward those hazards, north or south. If you are unsure, ask a lifeguard.

There are a lot of shallow sandbars and holes on the bottom, so as a rule don’t dive head-first into the water because there are a lot of neck injuries caused by hitting the bottom.

Know your limit on what size waves you can handle or how far out you should swim.

If by chance you get caught in a rip tide, stay calm, save energy, swim parallel to the shore out of the rip, then swim in. If you need help, hold up a fist in the air and the lifeguards should be on the way if they are not on the way already.

If you get stung by a jellyfish, the lifeguards have a vinegar-water solution to ease the pain. Watch out for a possible allergic reaction later. Stingrays have been around, so shuffle your feet to let them know you’re there instead of stepping on one. If you do get hit, go to the lifeguards. Hot water is recommended to open the pores and let the barbs and poison out. It is usually a pretty painful ordeal for a few hours.

If you are surfing by the pier, watch out for those fishing lines. There have been more than a few surfers hooked lately.

Fishermen, no overhead casting is allowed, you should keep your lines close to the pier. Throwing fishing weights at surfers is considered an assault with a deadly weapon ? so don’t do it.

And don’t forget: When you are finished with your cups, wrappers or other trash, put them in the trash canister or take them home with you. And don’t break any bottles either, because glass in the feet hurts.

With that in mind, have a great summer.

Oh, the combo swell all week was jamming with overhead sets, jacking and pitching. And how great is the water temperature at 68 degrees? I don’t think it got that warm all last summer.

Fig, over and out.