United States · North America
Each location is refreshed once every three hours. The hourly view, 7-day forecast, luck factor and packing notes come from the same stored update.
We compare the 7-day forecast with the version-matched historical observations available for the same time of year at The Wedge. The delta shows whether conditions look better, worse or about the same as a typical late July.
We score each day of the 7-day forecast using the same algorithm as the leaderboard, and highlight the highest scorer.
Open-Meteo's Marine API (swell height, period, water temperature) and Weather API (wind and conditions).
Moderate swell providing fun waves for a session. Long-period energy means powerful, well-spaced sets. Gentle onshore putting some texture on the faces. Not enough swell to get this spot firing properly.
PeakWave scores are planning signals, not safety clearance. Check local authorities, official bulletins and on-site conditions before you go. Read our editorial policy.
The Wedge is a notoriously violent, high-consequence shorebreak located at the end of the Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach, California. The bathymetry relies entirely on a steeply graded silica sandbank that drops off sharply right at the shoreline, heavily influenced by the adjacent man-made rock jetty. As long-period southerly groundswells approach, they reflect directly off this stone structure. This refracted energy intersects with the primary incoming wave, creating a pronounced, amplifying wedge effect. A north-easterly offshore wind holds up the massive faces momentarily before they collapse. The wave breaks with immense hydraulic force, delivering a near-vertical take-off that transitions instantly into a heavy, plunging lip detonating in mere inches of water. Because the energy is concentrated so violently onto the shallow sand, it creates brutal hold-downs and severe spinal injury risks. Consequently, The Wedge is strictly reserved for advanced and expert surfers, bodyboarders, and bodysurfers who possess elite physical endurance and split-second reflex capabilities.
Heads up: rocks exposed at low tide.
Indicators derived from forecast data, not official warnings. Always check local lifeguard or official advice.
The air here is 52% cleaner than the average comparison city right now.
Noticeably cleaner air than a typical city. Good conditions for prolonged outdoor activity.
Not a pollutant. Ozone is naturally higher at altitude and near the coast, and lower in cities where traffic exhaust breaks it down. High readings here typically indicate clean air. Can cause short-term airway irritation during intense exercise but is not linked to the long-term health risks of particulate pollution.
Additive health score: each pollutant contributes points relative to its WHO 2021 guideline and long-term health impact (PM2.5 9, NO₂ 5, O₃ 3, PM10 2, SO₂ 1 at WHO limits). Data via Open-Meteo. City markers show live readings. Red line marks the WHO guideline. Updated 15:24
Good water clarity: ~10m visibility
Daily scores over the last 12 months at The Wedge
Historical quality only. Safety is not reconstructed for this view.
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Create Profile →Partly. The model uses stored spot geometry, swell ranges and tide preferences where configured. It cannot see changing banks, crowds, access, closures or everything visible on a local cam, so treat it as a starting point.
The best week for surf at The Wedge is the week of 30 November (score 3/5) with low crowds.
This guide was generated from conditions data. Know this spot? Submit your own tips below.
The Wedge is one of the most dangerous shorebreaks on the planet, a brutally powerful wave at the end of the Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach, California. A man-made rock jetty reflects incoming south swells back onto a steep sandbar, creating a wedging effect that amplifies wave height and produces a near-vertical, violently plunging lip that detonates in inches of water. This is not a conventional surfing wave; it is a raw, explosive force of nature that attracts bodyboarders, bodysurfers, and a handful of certifiably brave stand-up surfers.
Southerly and south-westerly groundswells from April through October produce the most dramatic conditions. Long-period south swells that reflect cleanly off the jetty create the most pronounced wedge effect. The wave needs at least 4ft of swell to start wedging, and on solid 8-10ft days it produces waves that dwarf the original swell height. North-east offshore winds hold the faces up, most reliable at dawn.
The peak forms at the exact point where the reflected wave intersects with the primary incoming swell. This position shifts slightly with swell direction but is always within 50 metres of the jetty. Bodysurfers and bodyboarders position themselves at the peak. Stand-up surfers, when attempting it, take off further outside. The wave offers no rideable shoulder; it is a straight-up-and-down drop into an explosion of whitewater.
The wave breaks in extremely shallow water directly onto steeply graded sand. Spinal injuries, broken necks, and severe concussions have all occurred here. The hydraulic force is immense and unpredictable due to the intersecting wave energy. Being caught in the impact zone means being driven into the sand with tremendous force. The rock jetty is an additional hard surface to avoid. This is genuinely one of the most dangerous places to enter the ocean in California.
Street parking and metered lots are available on the Balboa Peninsula. The beach is immediately accessible and flat. Lifeguards monitor The Wedge and will close it to bodysurfing and bodyboarding when conditions become too dangerous. Pay attention to all posted warnings and lifeguard instructions.
The Wedge attracts a devoted community of bodysurfers and bodyboarders who have spent years learning its rhythms. Stand-up surfing is rare and only attempted by experienced big-wave surfers. Spectators line the beach in large numbers on big days. The crowd in the water is small due to the extreme consequences, but those present are highly experienced.
Do not approach The Wedge as a surfer unless you have extensive big-wave and heavy-water experience. This is primarily a bodysurfing and bodyboarding wave. Watch from the beach on a big day before ever entering the water. The reflected wave arrives from an unexpected angle and can catch even experienced watermen off guard. Swim fins and a solid pair of swim trunks are the standard equipment. The wave is more powerful than it looks from shore; the wedge effect concentrates energy in ways that are not visually obvious until you are in the water.
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Combining historical conditions with school holiday crowd pressure to find the sweet spot.
The timing score combines two signals: historical conditions quality (how good the skiing or surfing typically is in a given week, based on 5 years of weather data) and crowd pressure (how many of this destination's feeder markets have school holidays that week).
Crowd pressure is weighted by each feeder country's share of visitors. If 40% of a resort's visitors come from France and France is on holiday, that contributes 0.40 to the crowd pressure score. Crowds can reduce the timing score by up to 35%, ensuring conditions still matter most.
Scores: 5 = great conditions with low crowds (the sweet spot). 4 = great conditions with moderate crowds, or good conditions with low crowds. 3 = average. 2 = below average conditions or very crowded. 1 = poor conditions or peak holiday chaos.
Last 29 days of logged conditions.
Based on historical weekly averages
Conditions at The Wedge tend to be best between 06:00 to 09:00 in July.
Average score during this window: 35/100
See timing scores, school holiday busyness, and lift pass pricing to find the best time to book.
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