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dogtown
climber
Cheyenne,Wyoming
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jun 3, 2009 - 08:39pm PT
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I’m heading to the coast for a few days and I ran a cross this stellar video of big wave surfing in So Cal. The Wedge. It is a true freak of man made engineering and nature combined . For those of you that are not familiar with the area, The Beach a old school bouldering area is just south at Corona Del Mar.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqbWnmENCng&feature=related
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Prod
Trad climber
A place w/o Avitars apparently
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Hi Dogtown,
That is man made? How so?
The last guy rocked.
Great video and thanks for the link.
Prod.
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T2
climber
Cardiff by the sea
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The "Wedge" would not wedge without that man made jetty.
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drljefe
climber
Old Pueblo, AZ
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Luckily Hogue Hospital is right there, as people suffer spinal injuries every season at the Wedge.
Prod- the Army Corps of Engineers built the jetty to face due south which magnifies southwest swells- which rebound off the rocks and form the freakish peak. Super shallow, too.
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dogtown
climber
Cheyenne,Wyoming
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 3, 2009 - 09:22pm PT
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The Wedge was made possible by the building of the break water at the mouth of Newport harbor. Without the break water no Wedge. On a south swell with force the waves can go over twenty feet. The beach there makes a natural curve in to the break water so one wave comes in and hit’s the break water and bounces off and comes back north and at the same time a south bound wave is coming and they MEET! The Wedge up!
I broke forearm and shoulder there! Most of time it’s beach break, But a few times a year it hits just right at high tide with a strong south swell and it becomes the So Cal Pipeline! Dig!
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dogtown
climber
Cheyenne,Wyoming
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 3, 2009 - 09:39pm PT
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This is one of the better shots I have when it’s breaking as I described. It’s the Shizzz. Man.
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zip
Trad climber
pacific beach, ca
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DAMN!
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Jim Wilcox
Boulder climber
Santa Barbara
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Nice shot. About the only thing you don't see is the sand that's only a few feet down.
Truly a, "you're gonna die!" moment-with a more then a hint of truth.
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stevep
Boulder climber
Salt Lake, UT
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A little strange to see all the surfers there. Used to be basically bodysurfers, then sponges when those came along.
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Glaidig
Trad climber
Menlo Park, CA
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Hey Dog,
Yeah, the wedge is a cool spot. If you go in remember the rip tide can be really strong there. For those who don't remember, if you get caught in the rip, swim parallel to the shore until it lets go of you.
Cheers,
Guy
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WBraun
climber
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That don't look too hard.
I'm going to get a 4x8 sheet of plywood at home Depot and I'll be shredding big time .....
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TGT
Social climber
So Cal
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This one shows what it's like most of the time
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNH4lK6FArA
Slams right on the sand.
If it didn't hurt bad you were still digging sand out of every orifice.
The rule once was boards only allowed before 7:00 or something like that. Have no idea what it is now.
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Studly
Trad climber
WA
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Ripping juicy spot. Short ride on a surfboard, long body surfing wave. It would be a bad place to go over the falls on a big day with it so shallow.
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dogtown
climber
Cheyenne,Wyoming
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 3, 2009 - 11:34pm PT
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As I said, MOST of time it’s beach break, But a few times a year it hits just right at high tide with a strong south swell and it becomes the So Cal Pipeline and in deeper water. The first time I hit it like that it, I have never shot down a face so fast in my LIFE, It was on a knee board. The take off even with fins was so steep and with so much violence I could hardly make the bottom turn. When I did it pitched me right in to the barrel and I made it! That’s when I knew the place could be surfed! ( stand up ) And the next year we did. I was seventeen. Note; I broke my arm and my shoulder on that same knee board the previous year there.
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Slakkey
Trad climber
From a Quiet Place by the Lake
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Well, I grew up in Newport Beach and have seen the Wedge in its many phases. TGT has it about right. you eat it you are going to get a face full of sand not to mention in your your shorts too. When it breaks the ride is pretty short and riding a board most wipe out in the end. The body surfers rule there as does the boogie board crowd but in many cases the same result. To be honest there better places to surf. But if you like short steep rides and want to wipe out in the end then this is your place.
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Lynne Leichtfuss
Social climber
valley center, ca
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Believe it or not lynnie actually body surfed the Wedge bitd. Yikes....I'm still alive but don't recommend unless you have beta. When I say Yikes I mean YIKES !!! hehehe, lynnie
Slakkey, it was like being in a Giants Washing Machine on the Spin cycle. yowwwwww.
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Slakkey
Trad climber
From a Quiet Place by the Lake
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Yup Lynne that is pretty much how it is. There are always a couple that can ride it out but like I said tis pretty much a wipeout in the end. Go to 32nd street in NB on the same day and you will ride clean waves all day. BTW its Hoag not Houge Hospital. I know I was born there.
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Largo
Sport climber
Venice, Ca
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I used to drive down there from Upland with guys on the water polo team and we'd body surf till we couldn't egg beater any longer. Really gotta be careful - I got the hide ground off my forehead from scraping bottom. Man, it's a wonder more necks aren't broken there. It's a very fast and violent ride for a body surfer and basically impossible to totally "make" a wave there over 10 feet. But man, what a rush!
JL
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Lynne Leichtfuss
Social climber
valley center, ca
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slakkey, yeah, 32nd street was sweet, but all the "dudes" hung out at 17th.... so where does a surfer girl go ? lol ....Lord those were the sweet innocence of youth and fun days !!!
Balboa Bay Club, Dick Dale and the Del Tones, Harmony Park Ballroom ....sweet sigh .... :))
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Wade Icey
Trad climber
www.alohashirtrescue.com
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trivia- John wayne broke his neck body surfing at the wedge and ended a promising football career-had to find somethin' else to do.
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