Newport Beach Photos
The Wedge in Newport Beach
Wave | Jetty
Legendary waves ridden by legends like bodysurfer Fred Simpson, immortalized in the Surfing Hall of Fame in Huntington Beach, are Newport Peninsula's "The Wedge" claim to fame.
A mere 10 to 20 feet from the sand where you stand incredible waves form, rise and smack down, creating one amazing ride for those trained in handling this dynamic and dangerous situation. If you don't know what you're up against, best wait till you learn how to proceed. Many succeed and some fail, resulting in mild to serious injuries.
The Wedge is located at the end of Newport Peninsula where the Pacific Ocean-facing beach ends next to a jetty. This jetty makes for calm, safe entries and exits from the Newport Harbor on ocean craft, but it wasn't always there. In its absence Corona del Mar which is the land mass across the bay from The Wedge used to be a surfing mecca. Instead of the waves hitting the jetty they rolled onto the shores of Corona del Mar and surfers with longer boards caught them gleefully.
Wedge surfers are shortboarders. You get the best, safest and most successful ride that way.
Although it happens rarely, injuries at The Wedge have included spinal damage, paralysis and/or death.