Orange County, California
Dawn patrol is the move — 2-4ft on SSW swell at 16s with gentle SW breeze.
Best window·Wednesday 6AM–9AM·3-5ft·Fair - Good
Poor - Fair today — get one free email when The Wedge turns Good.
Here's how the next 5 days are shaping up at The Wedge, Orange County, California. Each day is rated based on breaking wave height, swell period, and wind — updated hourly from the latest NOAA GFS run.
Sun, Aug 9: 2–4ft, 16s period, rated Fair. Dawn patrol is the move — 2-4ft on SSW swell at 16s with gentle SW breeze. It gets a bit messier later in the day.
Mon, Aug 10: 2–4ft, 14s period, rated Poor. Midday is the call — 2-4ft waves with gentle SSW breeze and fair conditions. Morning is a bit bumpy but things clean up by late morning.
Tue, Aug 11: 3–5ft, 13s period, rated Poor - Fair. Midday is the call — 3-5ft waves with light winds out of the SSW and fair conditions. Early on is a little rough — give it until mid-morning to shape up. Sea breeze fills back in by mid-afternoon so get on it early.
Wed, Aug 12: 3–5ft, 12s period, rated Poor - Fair. Early morning is your best window — 3-5ft waves on S swell at 12s with barely a breath of wind. The SW wind kicks in by afternoon — 9mph and poor by then.
Thu, Aug 13: 2–4ft, 16s period, rated Poor. First light looks cleanest — 2-4ft on S swell at 13s with light S winds. Onshore flow builds through the day to 10mph, bringing conditions down to poor.
Check The Wedge from the lineup
Forecasts, surf alerts, and live conditions in the Swell Intel iPhone app.
The Wedge is one of the most famous and dangerous shore breaks in the world, created when south swells reflect off the 2,000-foot Newport Harbor jetty and merge with incoming waves to produce massive "double-up" peaks that can reach 30 feet. The shallow sand and steep beach create an explosive shore break that attracts elite bodysurfers and bodyboarders. Standup surfing is effectively prohibited during summer. Backwash colliding with incoming sets adds lethal unpredictability.
Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.
The current wave height at The Wedge is 2-4ft with a 15.3s swell period. Wind is SW at 6mph and conditions are rated Poor - Fair. The forecast updates hourly so you can plan your session around the cleanest windows.
The current breaking wave height at The Wedge is 2-4ft, produced by a 2ft SSW primary swell at 15s, a 1.5ft SSW secondary swell at 12s, a 1ft S tertiary swell at 9s, a 1.3ft W wind swell swell at 5s. Breaking wave height is the actual rideable wave size at the shore — calculated from offshore swell data using this spot's coastal bathymetry — not the raw buoy reading.
Based on the current 5-day forecast, the best window to surf The Wedge is Wednesday from 6 AM to 9 AM with 2ft waves, a 17.6s swell period, and conditions rated Fair - Good. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.
The Wedge works best with a S swell and NE winds. Offshore winds groom the face of the wave, while onshore winds turn it sloppy. Cross-offshore conditions usually produce the cleanest shape.
Tide plays a big role at The Wedge. Mid tide works for most beach breaks, while reef and point breaks often prefer higher or lower stages. Use the tide chart above to line up your session with the swell peak.
The Wedge is a beach with a sand bottom, suited to expert surfers. The Wedge is one of the most famous and dangerous shore breaks in the world, created when south swells reflect off the 2,000-foot Newport Harbor jetty and merge with incoming waves to produce massive "double-up" peaks that can reach 30 feet. The shallow sand and steep beach create an explosive shore break that attracts elite bodysurfers and bodyboarders. Standup surfing is effectively prohibited during summer. Backwash colliding with incoming sets adds lethal unpredictability.
The prime season at The Wedge is summer, when swell direction, wind patterns, and water temps line up most consistently. Outside the peak season you can still score, but you'll need to watch the forecast closely for the right windows.
Common hazards at The Wedge include extremely heavy shorebreak, backwash, shallow sand, spinal injuries, crowds of spectators. Always check conditions before paddling out, respect local etiquette, and never surf alone if you're unfamiliar with the break.
Our The Wedge forecast uses NOAA GFS and other weather models combined with spot-specific bathymetry to calculate breaking wave heights. Short-range (1-3 day) forecasts are most reliable; extended forecasts show general trends. We also verify our offshore swell predictions against NOAA buoy measurements daily — see our accuracy page for those swell-verification metrics (buoys measure open-water swell, not breaking surf size).
