-
A surfer rides the waves at the Wedge in Newport Beach early Wednesday morning, May 23, 2018 as a large swell moves onshore to Orange County beaches. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
A surfer rides the waves at the Wedge in Newport Beach early Wednesday morning, May 23, 2018 as a large swell moves onshore to Orange County beaches. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
- SoundThe gallery will resume inseconds
-
A surfer rides the waves at the Wedge in Newport Beach early Wednesday morning, May 23, 2018 as a large swell moves onshore to Orange County beaches. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
A surfer carries his broken board at the Wedge in Newport Beach early Wednesday morning, May 23, 2018 as a large swell moves onshore to Orange County beaches. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
A body boarder rides the waves at the Wedge in Newport Beach early Wednesday morning, May 23, 2018 as a large swell moves onshore to Orange County beaches. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
A surfer rides the waves at the Wedge in Newport Beach early Wednesday morning, May 23, 2018 as a large swell moves onshore to Orange County beaches. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
Surfers watch the waves from the jetty at the Wedge in Newport Beach early Wednesday morning, May 23, 2018 as a large swell moves onshore to Orange County beaches. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
A surfer rides the waves at the Wedge in Newport Beach early Wednesday morning, May 23, 2018 as a large swell moves onshore to Orange County beaches. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
A body boarder rides the waves at the Wedge in Newport Beach early Wednesday morning, May 23, 2018 as a large swell moves onshore to Orange County beaches. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
A surfer jumps off his board at the Wedge in Newport Beach early Wednesday morning, May 23, 2018 as a large swell moves onshore to Orange County beaches. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
A body boarder rides the waves at the Wedge in Newport Beach early Wednesday morning, May 23, 2018 as a large swell moves onshore to Orange County beaches. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
A surfer rides the waves at the Wedge in Newport Beach early Wednesday morning, May 23, 2018 as a large swell moves onshore to Orange County beaches. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
A surfer jumps off his board at the Wedge in Newport Beach early Wednesday morning, May 23, 2018 as a large swell moves onshore to Orange County beaches. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
A surfer rides the waves at the Wedge in Newport Beach early Wednesday morning, May 23, 2018 as a large swell moves onshore to Orange County beaches. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
A surfer rides the waves at the Wedge in Newport Beach early Wednesday morning, May 23, 2018 as a large swell moves onshore to Orange County beaches. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
A surfer get covered by a wave at the Wedge in Newport Beach early Wednesday morning, May 23, 2018 as a large swell moves onshore to Orange County beaches. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
A body boarder rides the waves at the Wedge in Newport Beach early Wednesday morning, May 23, 2018 as a large swell moves onshore to Orange County beaches. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
A surfer rides the waves at the Wedge in Newport Beach early Wednesday morning, May 23, 2018 as a large swell moves onshore to Orange County beaches. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
A body boarder rides the waves at the Wedge in Newport Beach early Wednesday morning, May 23, 2018 as a large swell moves onshore to Orange County beaches. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
A body boarder gets some air as he rides the waves at the Wedge in Newport Beach early Wednesday morning, May 23, 2018 as a large swell moves onshore to Orange County beaches. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
A surfer rides the waves at the Wedge in Newport Beach early Wednesday morning, May 23, 2018 as a large swell moves onshore to Orange County beaches. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Show Caption of Expand
The Wedge has awakened.
The beastly wave showed its teeth this week as the first big south swell of the season roared toward Southern California, the oceans energy delivering sizable waves along the California coastline — and especially at the Wedge in Newport Beach, where set waves reached upward of 15-foot. The swell started showing late Tuesday, May 22, with a crowd on the beach marveling at the massive waves as surfers and bodyboarders braved the building-size surf.
Sign up for The Localist, our daily email newsletter with handpicked stories relevant to where you live. Subscribe here.
There was still plenty of energy Wednesday, though messy and foamy in the early-morning hours as if the ocean was a big washer machine. More than 30 wave riders tried to take on the beefy waves that slammed the shore.
The Wedge is a unique spot, doubling in size as waves bounce off a rock jetty, the surf bouncing back toward incoming waves to create a “wedge” breaking in shallow water close to shore. Be warned, it is for experts only and can be highly dangerous.
RELATED: How to surf the Wedge
Other south-facing beaches saw sizable surf as well, with waves in the 4-to 6-foot range and higher in areas such as Trestles and Huntington Beach Pier, and at Zuma in Los Angeles County, according to surf forecast company Surfline.com. Winds in some areas, however, created messy, un-ridable surf.
These waves are from the same swell that brought 78-foot waves off New Zealand, resulting in a record set about two weeks ago for the largest Southern Hemisphere wave recorded by a buoy.
Related Articles
- Lifeguards take advantage of massive surf to hone rescue skills as summer nears
- Swell that created 78-foot wave off New Zealand set to show up along Southern California this week
- Kids Ocean Day celebrates 25 years of educating youth to keep beaches clean
- Theres been a sharp spike in sick and dying pelicans, San Pedro bird rescue center says
- Shark Stories event will share tales of survival, science and, of course, sharks
The National Weather Service issued a beach hazard statement this week that is expected to last through Thursday. The NWS warns of other hazards, such as strong rip currents and long-shore currents, with the elevated surf.
“Obey posted warning signs and flags and talk to a lifeguard before swimming. Use caution when in or near the water and always swim near a lifeguard,” the warning reads.
Waves are expected to drop to the 3-to 4-foot range Friday and Saturday before decreasing to 2-to 3-foot Sunday and Monday, according to Surfline.
[contf] [contfnew] 
daily news
[contfnewc] [contfnewc]
