The Wedge should have been named “The Beast.” After all, Newport Beach’s world-famous bodysurfing and bodyboarding wave is an absolute animal. It forms during south swells when waves refract off the rock jetty, then slam into a second incoming wave, resulting in 30-foot-high mutant waves best observed from the safety of shore. Happily, though, any surfer (or bodysurfer) has plenty of other options along Newport Beach’s eight-plus miles of coastline. Despite its world-class credentials, this Orange County town offers a rather a mellow, welcoming vibe. Indeed, Echo Beach—a 2009 documentary about Newport Beach’s 1980s surf culture—can often be seen playing in a loop at surfer grub joints like TK Burgers (as in “The Kind”), across from the Newport Pier; you can watch it while enjoying a classic traditional SoCal charbroiled burger. If you need a lesson first, check out local spots like Endless Sun Surf School, Newport Beach Surfing Lessons, or Newport Surf Camp. And certainly, you’ll need some gear. A few blocks north of the pier, visit The Frog House, Newport’s quintessential surf shop, which is chock-a-block with used surfboards, body boards, wetsuits, and surfing DVDs.