This week massive swells brought historic 20+ foot waves to The Wedge in Orange County, California drawing surfers from around the world to test their skills on the world-famous surf break.
The Wedge forms at the end of a peninsula where it meets a harbor jetty. When conditions line up, it creates the perfect angle for waves to refract off the rocks and double up. Powerful south swells delivered historic sets this week with waves peaking over two stories high.
While it may seem like commonsense not to enter these types of waters without fully functioning gear, one boogie boarder clearly not think it necessary. The following video was posted to the official Instagram account for the Newport Beach Ocean Lifeguard Association and shows a man who tried to take on these monster waves on a boogie board with the leash duct taped to his ankle. He was warned by the lifeguards not to enter the water but he did so anyway and ended up needing a rescue:
“When you show up in board shorts, a t-shirt, and your leash duct taped to your ankle (that’s why they couldn’t get it off), you should probably listen to the lifeguards when they tell you not to paddle out. This dude had some seriously scary moments next to the rocks this morning, but luckily the guards were right there to bring him safely back to shore. Well done boys, well done!”
To get a better idea of what this boogie boarder was getting into, here is a video of Hawaiian surfer Koa Rothman who hopped on a flight to southern California just to experience The Wedge at its peak. When this wave is firing it is serious business.
