A large northwest swell bringing 12- to 15-foot surf peaked along the North Shore yesterday as lifeguards warned people to stay out of the water, Emergency Services spokesman Bryan Cheplic said.

A high surf advisory remains in effect until 6 p.m. today for the north and west shores of Kaua'i and Ni'ihau and the north-facing shores of O'ahu, Moloka'i and Maui. The National Weather Service predicts that surf today will be 10 to 15 feet along north-facing shores and 6 to 10 feet along west-facing shores.

Honolulu lifeguards yesterday made eight rescues and gave 800 verbal warnings to beachgoers, compared to 10 rescues and 600 warnings on Sunday.

"A lot of the swells are washing through and there are only a few select spots where the surf is rideable: Sunset Beach, Pipeline and Laniakea," Cheplic said. " ... We're asking everyone to use caution in and out of the water if they're coming out to see the surf today because it's been so busy on the North Shore."

The weather service said the northwest swell will remain near the advisory level before slowly lowering tonight and tomorrow. A much smaller northwest swell is expected to arrive Thursday night, peak on Friday, then slowly subside into the weekend.

For current information, go to www.hawaiibeachsafety.org.