THE PLT OF A COMMERCIAL HOT AIR BALLOON; AN LBL240; AND HIS PAX FOUND THAT THEY WERE BEING BLOWN OUT TO SEA. THE PLT SET THE BALLOON DOWN IN THE WATER; KEEPING THE ENVELOPE INFLATED WHILE THE LCL LIFEGUARDS RESCUED ALL ON BOARD.

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ON FEB/XA/99; I ENGAGED IN A SUNSET SIGHTSEEING BALLOON FLT IN THE COASTAL AREAS OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY. I STARTED WX EVALUATIONS APPROX 4 HRS PRIOR TO THE FLT AND FOUND CONDITIONS TO BE NORMAL THROUGH TO FLT TIME. SURFACE AND UPPER WINDS WERE PUSHING ON SHORE IN A NORMAL DIRECTION. I LAUNCHED 45 MINS BEFORE SUNSET WITH 11 PAX ON BOARD FROM A SIGHT APPROX 3 MI E OF THE COASTLINE. AT LAUNCH; I FOUND THE SURFACE WINDS TO HAVE CALMED COMPLETELY. RPTS FROM OTHER PLTS WHO LOFTED FROM SIGHTS CLOSER TO THE COASTLINE SUGGESTED THAT THE SURFACE WINDS HAD REVERSED AND WERE PUSHING W. I CLBED TO ALT AND FOUND S AND EVENTUALLY EASTERLY MOVEMENT; WHICH I USED TO NAV INLAND. I DSNDED INTO THE S FLOW IN ORDER TO MOVE S TO AN OPEN VALLEY. THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT; I EXPERIENCED A CONTINUOUS WESTERLY TREND AT MOST ALTS. IN AN EFFORT TO NAV TO AN OPEN AND SAFE LNDG AREA; I WAS PUSHED TO THE BEACH AND EVENTUALLY OVER THE SURF FOR A PRECAUTIONARY WATER LNDG INSIDE OF THE BREAKERS. AFTER EXPERIENCING THE EFFECTS OF A BREAKING WAVE AGAINST AND OVER THE BASKET; I LAUNCHED AGAIN AND FLEW TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE BREAKERS WHERE I SET DOWN AGAIN IN CALMER WATER. I KEPT THE BALLOON INFLATED AND UPRIGHT WITH THE BASE OF THE BASKET IN THE WATER. AUTHS WERE ALERTED IMMEDIATELY AND THE LCL LIFEGUARD WERE THE FIRST ON SCENE WITH A MOTORIZED INFLATABLE AND A JET SKI WITH RESCUE SLED. WITHIN AN HR ALL 11 PAX WERE OFF THE BALLOON AND SAFELY ON SHORE. THE BALLOON WAS DEFLATED AND MARKED WITH A BUOY UNTIL THE FOLLOWING DAY WHEN THE BALLOON WAS EVENTUALLY RECOVERED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE PLT SAID THAT HE HAD FIRST DRIFTED TO THE S IN AN ATTEMPT TO FIND A CLR AREA FOR TOUCHDOWN; BUT THE WINDS INCREASED AND BLEW HIM OVER A RELATIVELY NEW HOUSING DEVELOPMENT. HE THEN ASCENDED AND THE WESTERLY WIND BLEW HIM OUT TO SEA. HE INFORMED HIS GND CREW IN THE CHASE VEHICLE OF HIS PLAN TO SET DOWN NEAR THE BEACH; HOWEVER THE WINDS WERE TOO STRONG AND HE SET DOWN INITIALLY IN THE SHORE BREAK. HE LIFTED OFF AND USED HIS CELLULAR PHONE TO INFORM THE COAST GUARD AND THE COUNTY LIFEGUARD SVC THAT HE WAS GOING TO SET DOWN AT SEA WITH A TOTAL OF 12 PERSONNEL ON BOARD. EVERYONE WAS RESCUED BY THE LCL LIFEGUARDS WITH NO INJURIES. THE BALLOON WAS RECOVERED THE NEXT DAY BY A SALVAGE COMPANY HIRED BY HIS COMPANY. ONLY MINOR DAMAGE TO THE BALLOON WHICH NORMALLY HOLDS 14 OCCUPANTS.