Newport Beach · Orange County
The Wedge Surf Report
Surf
1–2 ft
Poor
Tide
Rising
High 5.3 ft at 7:49 PM
Wind
9 kt
From SW · onshore
Water
75°F
from the buoy
Water quality
Low
No active warnings
A world-famous, dangerous shorebreak at the tip of the Balboa Peninsula, where south swells bounce off the jetty and combine into huge wedges.
Conditions now
Poor
Poor
Fair
Good
Excellent
Epic
1–2 ft with onshore wind at 9 kt
Rated by the Surfing Tomorrow Break Model, our proprietary method. How it works
Est. surf at the break
1–2 ft
Surfing Tomorrow Break Model, calculated from buoy 46253 readings and The Wedge's swell window.
Wind now
9 kt
From SW · onshore · forecast model for Sep 23, 3:00 PM
Swells at the buoy
From the buoy: measured by NOAA buoy 46253 (San Pedro South (CDIP 213)) · reading taken Sep 23, 2:26 PM
Total wave height
2 ft14s SSW 195°
All wave energy combined
Groundswell
1 ft15.4s S
Longer-period swell from distant storms
Wind swell
1.6 ft8.3s W
Short-period chop from local or nearby wind
7-day surf
GFS-Wave + ECMWF modelForecast unavailable.
How to read this: the curve is our estimated surf size at The Wedge each day (from the forecast model, not the buoy); dot color is that day's rating using the day's strongest wind. The Wedge works best with 15s+.
Tide
Balboa Pier, Newport Beach
Low
2:11 AM
High
8:26 AM
Low
2:00 PM
High
7:49 PM
Low
2:35 AM
High
8:42 AM
Best conditions
- Swell window
- S (170°–210°)
- Ideal period
- 15s+
- Tide
- Mid to high
- Wind
- Light offshore or glassy (typically early morning)
- Size
- 4–20 ft
Swell arriving — next 48 hours
Hourly swell height and period from the GFS-Wave / ECMWF marine model at 33.593, -117.882
Peak in the next 48h: 0.0 ft around Wed 3 PM
Longest period: 0s — longer period means the swell was generated by a stronger, more distant storm and will carry more energy into the reef.
Wind — next 48 hours
Hourly 10 m wind speed. Offshore here is roughly E–NE.
Cleanest window: Thu 11 PM at 0 kt. Arrows show where the wind is blowing: green is offshore or glassy, yellow cross-shore, red onshore.
Swell & wind direction
Where the energy is coming from versus the window The Wedge needs.
- Swell from
- S · 170°
- Wind from
- N · 0°
- Swell window
- S–SSW (shaded)
Water & air temperature
Water temperature from the buoy (NOAA 46253); air temperature from the weather model. Placed on the wetsuit scale.
Wear: Boardshorts / spring
How we rate the surf
The Surfing Tomorrow Break Model is our own proprietary method. It takes the swells measured at the nearest buoy, scales each one by its period (longer swell grows more as it reaches shallow water) and by how well it lines up with The Wedge's swell window, then combines them into a wave size at the break. Wave size sets the possible range; the wind decides where in that range it lands. Offshore or glassy wind puts it at the top, cross-shore or light onshore at the bottom, strong onshore drops it one level, and rain or storms drop it one more.
| Wave size at the break | Possible rating |
|---|---|
| Under 1 ft | Poor |
| 1–2 ft | Poor to Fair |
| 2–4 ft | Fair to Good |
| 4–5 ft | Good to Excellent |
| 5–8 ft | Excellent to Epic |
| 8 ft + | Excellent to Epic |
Estimates, not measurements — not yet checked against logged sessions.
Recent from the lineup — YouTube
The newest YouTube videos and Shorts matching “The Wedge” and its city. Each is credited to its creator and plays from YouTube.
Through the year — monthly guide & videos
What The Wedge is like through the year. Pick a month for a quick guide built from recent years of weather and wave records, plus YouTube videos of The Wedge in that month.
September at The Wedge
Saved YouTube picks for The Wedge in September, filtered to real surf footage. The date shown is when each video was posted.
No September videos found for The Wedge yet.
The break
Needs a long-period south swell — it's mostly flat otherwise.
Mostly bodysurfers and bodyboarders; board surfing is restricted during summer blackball hours.
Waves break with enormous force in very shallow water.
Hazards & etiquette
- Extremely dangerous shorebreak — serious neck and spinal injuries are common.
- Crowds of spectators and riders on big days.
Getting there
- Parking
- Street parking on the Balboa Peninsula — very limited.
- Nearest buoy
- NDBC 46253 — San Pedro South (CDIP 213), about 17 mi away.
- Tide station
- NOAA 9410583 — Balboa Pier, Newport Beach.
Seasonal patterns
Spring (Mar–May)
Transitional mix of NW and early S swell. Water about 60–64°F, frequent fog and afternoon wind. 3/2 full suit.
Summer (Jun–Aug)
Peak south-swell season — south-facing Orange County beaches pick up Southern Hemisphere groundswell well. Crowded; water up to the upper 60s°F.
Fall (Sep–Nov)
Late south swells, first NW pulses and Santa Ana offshore days. Warm water, fewer crowds.
Winter (Dec–Feb)
NW and W swells; many south-facing spots are partly shadowed from NW energy. Water 56–60°F, 4/3 suit. Rain brings runoff advisories.
Water quality & pollution
Official bacteria tests, warnings and closures from California BeachWatch (State Water Board, reported by San Diego County), for sampling stations within 1.5 miles. Fetched Sep 23, 3:16 PM.
No active warnings or closures at nearby stations.
| Station | Sampled | Test | Result | State limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No samples at stations within 1.5 miles in the last 60 days. | ||||
Air quality (US AQI)
—
Unavailable
PM2.5 · Ozone
— · —
µg/m³
Air quality is a forecast model estimate (Copernicus CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a monitor reading.
Water-quality results come from California's BeachWatch program. Avoid the water for at least 72 hours after significant rain — urban runoff raises bacteria levels at nearly every Southern California beach.
Nearby spots
Where this data comes from
Every number on this page is pulled fresh from public sources each time the page loads. Nothing is invented. But not everything is a live measurement at the break — here's exactly what each item is.
| Item | Type | Source | Last updated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swell height, period, direction | Measured nearshore | NOAA NDBC buoy 46253 (San Pedro South (CDIP 213)). NOAA posts new readings about every 30–60 min. | Reading taken Sep 23, 2:26 PM |
| Water temperature | Measured nearshore | NOAA NDBC buoy 46253. Water at the break can differ slightly. | Reading taken Sep 23, 2:26 PM |
| Tide | Official prediction | NOAA CO-OPS station 9410583 (Balboa Pier, Newport Beach). Calculated tide tables, not live water level. | Fetched Sep 23, 3:16 PM |
| 7-day swell, 48-hour swell | Forecast model | GFS-Wave / ECMWF marine models via Open-Meteo, for the open ocean off this spot. | Fetched Sep 23, 3:16 PM |
| Wind now, 48-hour wind, air temperature | Forecast model | Open-Meteo weather model. Local sea breezes can differ from the model. | Fetched Sep 23, 3:16 PM |
| Conditions rating | Surfing Tomorrow Break Model | Our proprietary rating: estimated wave size sets the range, current wind and rain/storm weather set the level (Poor, Fair, Good, Excellent, Epic). | Calculated Sep 23, 3:16 PM |
| Est. surf at the break | Surfing Tomorrow Break Model | Our proprietary estimate: buoy groundswell and wind swell scaled by period and swell-window alignment for this break. | From reading at Sep 23, 2:26 PM |
| Water bacteria, warnings, closures | Official test results | California BeachWatch (State Water Resources Control Board), reported by San Diego County DEHQ. Sampled weekly at most stations; results post a day or more after sampling. | Fetched Sep 23, 3:16 PM |
| Air quality | Forecast model | Copernicus CAMS air-quality model via Open-Meteo. Not a ground monitor. | Unavailable |
| Break guide, hazards, seasons | Written guide | General local knowledge. Seasonal water temperatures are typical ranges, not live readings. | Reviewed by our team |
Important: the buoy sits just off Scripps Pier in about 20 m of water, not at The Wedge itself. Waves at the break can be bigger or smaller than the buoy reading depending on swell angle, the sea floor and nearby headlands. Always check the water yourself and know your limits.