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Worth A Visit
Places that I really enjoy and highly recommend…
The Wedge
Rating Details »
Channel Rd & E Ocean Front
Newport Beach, CA 92663
Newport Beach, CA 92663
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
11 reviews for The Wedge
When it's firing in Huntington Beach and you want to see some amazing stuff, head down to the fun zone and pick out a spot on the beach at the Wedge.
When it's small it's fun to see the cute boys skim boarding and catch some sun while your at it.
When it's big, it's fun to see people get rocked on humongous shorbreak.
No matter what always a source of entertainment.
The only thing that brings this down a star is that when it's big, people get hurt and often die as well. It's really macabre to see the news crews there just waiting like vultures for something horrific to happen so they can say they "broke the story first."
WTF?
This is a spot that I have always respected. Man needs to know his limits. God put fear in some of us to keep us alive. You need to be a strong swimmer to attempt these waves. You also have to be a little bit cuckoo and hopefully have some luck on your side.
Since I know my limits, I will gladly sit on the sands and watch these water maniacs get tossed all over the place on swells ranging from 10-20 feet and crashing on 4 feet of water. I've done the math and each time I crunch the numbers, it = OUCH!!!. Many people have been seriously injured by these strong massive currents. One man even loss his life here recently on 7/24/09. There is no need to go into details but one can read about it on their own. http://www.ocregister....
I think I will remain a spectator for many years to come. I highly suggest you join me and others on the sand if you are not physically and mentally ready for this beautiful but powerful body of water.
People thought this was:
- Useful (8)
- Funny (4)
- Cool (7)
Sunday morning I checked the surf report to see what the waves would be like at The Wedge. Supposed to of been 10-15 feet high. We rode our bikes out to The Wedge in the afternoon. Unfortunately the waves were not that 10-15 ft. I would of said 6ft tops. The beach was packed full of curious wave watchers like us. This is a perfect spot observe. Would I dare to get in the water. NO.... Not after watching how destructive the ways could be. We saw a couple of boogie boarders eat it. I think the most frighting thing is the jetty and the waves crashing into jetty. It makes for a beautiful sight but gnarly.
Now, not sure if this is the case every weekend during the summer but we were lucky enough to get some fresh lemonade by some little entrepreneurs. Refreshing after our ride.
People thought this was:
- Useful (5)
- Funny (4)
- Cool (5)
You see the approaching swell coming in, getting bigger and wider. It keeps swelling larger and getting faster, with beachgoers pointing and becoming more excited. The flotilla of bodysurfers and boogie-boarders turn and begin kicking their feet, as the southerly swell crests into a moving wall. And then WHAM-THUMP the boiling surf crashes, in a mixture of sand, foam, and water, with fins and boards and body parts floating inland. Lifeguards scan for anyone injured, which is frequent.
I'm a die-hard bodyboarder with concussions and broken bones that are testament to my devotion to the Wedge.
The Wedge is a world-famous spot located at the south end of the Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach.
The Wedge can produce huge waves as spectacular and intimidating as any in Hawaii or Australia.
The waves are a by-product of a rock jetty on the north side of the Newport Harbor. When conditions are just right and the waves approach the shore at the proper angle (south swells), an approaching wave will reflect a second wave. The reflected wave meets up with the following wave of the set and forms a peak... peaks that can tower 20 feet!!!
***Warning***
Between Balboa Pier and the Wedge waves are referred to as a "beach break." When the crest of the wave comes crashing down, regardless of its size, it lands in water no more than a foot deep, and it will sometimes land directly on to the sand. This condition causes many inexperienced swimmers to be at extreme risk of a broken neck. If a person is to "go over the falls," that is, fall with the water in the crest of the wave, they will COMMONLY strike their head on the sand below the shallow water.
I have seen dudes launched 30 plus feet in the air!
* Extremely dangerous
* If you have not put a toe in this water you cannot talk sh*t about it!
People thought this was:
- Useful (8)
- Funny (7)
- Cool (10)
I love the wedge, I've lived right near the beach my whole life and this spot has gotten me through everything- broken relationships, family issues, fights with friends etc. I've come here to contemplate, get drunk, or just hang out.
However despite my personal attachment to the spot, I have to admit that the purpose it serves for swimming is not as... good as say, 32nd street, where the waves crash out further and the sand is finer, not as coarse. For my own personal reasons, I would give the wedge a 5. But because of reasons mentioned above, I have to give it a 4.
The sunset is gorgeous at night and the surfers are amazing to watch during the summer. If you ever make it down to the peninsula, this place is a wonderful and beautiful spot to hang out.
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SAVE THE WEDGE, how? you might ask.... MANDATORY SPEEDOS FOR ALL WAVE CHARGERS! Keep this tradition alive lads.... dont let the sight of a full grown man in a diaper flying through the air at the wedge go the way of the dodo bird! This is the bodysurfing Mecca of SoCal... heck its the bodysurfing mecca of AllCal... keep the tradition alive... and I'll see the real men (and women!) in the water!
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I've never seen anything so incredible as checking out the Wedge when the surf is really kicking. We went last weekend, when there were 20 foot waves, and it took us over 2 hours to get there from Aliso Viejo. Parking is a major pain in the ass, especially when the surf is high, so try to get in early. I could really just sit there all day and watch. Watching the waves is cool enough, but then add in some bad-ass surfers and you have hours of entertainment. A must-see if you're in the Peninsula area.
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THE WEDGE... Heheheheheheee Wipe oooout!
No, I do not mean a piece of imported cheese from France, I mean the famous body surfing spot in Newport Beach, CA. This spot which is right next to the West Jetty View Park is at the oceanside tip of the balboa peninsula and if you go here to body surf be prepared to get your body a little beat up and be prepared to miss the sand!!! Because the swells here are so strong due to the rock jetty's that have been made here, that at times with the proper swell and angle, this place is known to create waves as big as some seen in Hawaii!!
My brother, boyfriend and cousins came here but I was a bit too intimidated to go and try out the waves myself, so I sat on the sand and took pictures and videos of them instead, and whenever they came out you could see red splotches of pain on their skin from the force and power that is THE WEDGE. You definitely cannot turn your back on these waves, or even try standing on the beach too close to the water without being knocked over by the waves here. The sand is full broken pieces of rocks and shells here a little more than in other parts of newport, but that is only because the waves are that much stronger here that they break everything in sight! ha ha
It truly is a magnificent sight--there are skim boarders here and boogie boarders here and of course body surfers, and thank goodness they have a lifeguard here too, because we heard that some people have left here with spinal cord injuries--hence another reason I was a chicken and didn't go in!! But I had just as much fun watching it from the safety of the sand! And I would go back and watch it all over again!
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The wedge is an amazing spot that has to be seen. All of a sudden a humongous wave seems to appear out of no where! Great place to watch spongers and skim boarders do their stuff. There is no way I would ever get into the water here, in fact, I wouldn't recommend that anyone get in the water here. It looks deadly. Very pretty at sunset.
Never knew I could have my sponge boarding life flash before my eyes while riding a wave until I took a trip down to the infamous Wedge. I've yet to this day still have not found my right orange Churchill fin lol!
the wedge is great. it's a rare (and mellow) occasion that i actually go in the water here (i prefer 36th st) but sitting and watching is better than just about anywhere in the world. i remember in elementary school riding my bike here to see people surfing 30-foot (yes) waves from el nino!
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