the-wedge
Big waves triggered by a storm near New Zealand pounded the Southern California coast Monday and Tuesday. Pictured, a swimmer caught a wave at "the Wedge" wave break in Newport Beach, California, Aug. 27, 2014. Reuters

The surf was up in Southern California early this week as a recent storm near New Zealand sent powerful swells barreling toward the region Sunday. Waves peaked at 16 to 18 feet at a popular body boarding spot known as “the Wedge” in Newport Beach, Orange County, high enough to make sunbathers out of most swimmers but a draw for experienced body boarders seeking a few thrills. Photos and video of the big waves surfaced online and on social media and showed daredevils taking a few tumbles.

Near the Huntington Beach Pier in Huntington Beach, about 8 miles north of the Wedge, most surfers experienced the waves by watching them from the shore, the Orange County Register reported. “There are bigger waves, bigger currents. Everything is more hazardous,” Huntington Beach lifeguard Jonathan Richards told the Register. “Right now, if a surfer came down here, I’d be like, ‘Dude, what are you doing?’” Meteorologists expected big waves in California to continue through Tuesday.

Spectators lined the beach at the Wedge on Sunday to watch the surf. The Wedge is known for generating bigger-than-average waves because of its unique underwater topography and a manmade jetty that magnifies the swells. But waves as large as those seen Sunday were a rare and awe-inspiring sight.

Bouts of big waves are not uncommon in Southern California and are typically caused by storms or hurricanes far out at sea. Such storm surges usually occur in the summer and fall and can cause minor flooding in some coastal communities. The weekend’s high surf forced one cruise ship set to dock in Long Beach to change course and head for San Diego, where the surf was not as intense.

Lifeguards rescued 17 people from the water in Newport Beach over the weekend, a testament to the dangers posed by higher swells, the Associated Press reported. "Inexperienced swimmers should definitely stay out of the water," Seal Beach police Sgt. Ron LaVelle told the AP. Here are photos and video footage of California’s big waves.