The Wedge, Surf spot in Newport Beach, US

The Wedge is a surf spot in Newport Beach where waves are created by incoming ocean swells reflecting off a harbor jetty. The reflected waves merge with new swells to produce particularly large and powerful waves at this location.

This location emerged in 1936 after harbor modifications extended the west jetty, which then created the wave-reflecting conditions at this site. The engineering change to the harbor infrastructure brought about the formation of this well-known surf spot.

Local teens in the early 1950s held bonfires here and called the spot "102 Beach" after the Brew 102 beer they drank. Surf guitarist Dick Dale released a 1963 track titled "The Wedge," and the break appears in Bruce Brown's film The Endless Summer. The French Wikipedia notes the expression TOAD, "Take Off And Die," arose at this spot.

The break sits at the southeastern tip of the Balboa Peninsula, where the beach drops steeply and backwash pulls swimmers toward the jetty. Lifeguards warn visitors before they enter the water. Waves can reach 30 mph and break in only a few feet of water, so watch from the sand rather than swimming out.

The Wedge gave rise to the bodysurfing expression TOAD, short for "Take Off And Die". The spot also shaped the career of John Wayne: injured while bodysurfing here during his time as a USC football player, he lost his athletic scholarship and turned to film acting.