Summer is the season for big waves in Southern California and when the Wedge (one of the region's most famous breaks) gets big people take notice. Crowds numbering into the thousands line the shore, where spray from the colliding walls of water mists across them. They come to listen to the pounding of the waves against the sand and be amazed by the sheer force of nature-- as well as to cheer on the few body boarders, surfers, and body surfers brave enough to enter the churning ocean. If you plan on paddling out at the Wedge, wait for a manageable day and bring a stiff pair of swim fins. As for those epic days...unless you've got lots of experience you should probably consider packing your camera rather than your swimsuit.
From the street it's only a short stroll along the jetty sidewalk out onto the sand, past the "W" life-guard tower and into the salty mist that reveals a steep hill falling down to the ocean. Hoots and hollers come from the crowd as the horizon ebbs and the oncoming waves march toward the shore like a raging army. As the waves break on the jetty, they bounce back towards one another and create what's called a "wedge effect." Jacking up to five times their normal size, the waves throw out huge barrels that engulf surfers and shake the earth.
Summer is the season for big waves in Southern California and when the Wedge (one of the region's most famous breaks) gets big people take notice. Crowds numbering into the thousands line the shore, where spray from the colliding walls of water mists across them. They come to listen to the pounding of the waves against the sand and be amazed by the sheer force of nature-- as well as to cheer on the few body boarders, surfers, and body surfers brave enough to enter the churning ocean. If you plan on paddling out at the Wedge, wait for a manageable day and bring a stiff pair of swim fins. As for those epic days...unless you've got lots of experience you should probably consider packing your camera rather than your swimsuit.
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 floating inland. Lifeguards scan for anyone injured, which is frequent. This is "The Wedge" along the rock-jetty and sandy shoreline of Newport Beach, where reflected waves up to 15 feet and higher occasionally peak, caused by Pacific Ocean storms thousands of nautical miles away. Only the experienced dare to enter this shallow shore, where tons of water literally pound you into the sand.
Submit
Add a Comment
