WIPEOUT: Warmer water will increase the number...

WIPEOUT: Warmer water will increase the number of bodysurfers along the beach, and that means more spinal injuries from shoreline accidents. Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian will have a booth at the Orange County Fair next month to educate the public through Project Wipeout. “Most of the bodysurfing injuries occur when not enough speed is generated, and they end up going over the falls head first,” said Lt. Jim Turner of the Newport Beach Marine Department.

THE WEDGE: Known as one of the most challenging bodysurfing spots in the world under certain conditions, the Wedge was created in the 1960s when the Army Corps of Engineers built and then lengthened a jetty at the mouth of Newport Harbor. South swells generated as far as 8,000 miles away can bounce off the jetty and meet up with a second wave, creating a peak up to 25 feet high. “The break comes right down on the beach,” Marine Safety Officer Brent Jacobsen said. “Someone standing in six inches of water one minute can get knocked off their feet and be gone the next.”

LOCALS ONLY: Ten years ago, the summer could be contentious at the Wedge, with experienced bodysurfers fighting bodyboarders for control of the waves. But the Wedge Prevention Society was formed, and bodysurfers lobbied for a ban on flotation devices from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. from May 1 through Oct. 31. Lifeguard Keith Head has patrolled the beach for nine years: “Now when it’s 20 feet [waves], there’s a group of about dozen guys who should be out there and not the people who are getting hurt and getting in the way.”

BARE NECESSITIES: Compared to other water sports enthusiasts, bodysurfers use minimal equipment; the most popular accessories are fins and a tight-fitting suit. Those attempting to maneuver in the pounding surf have found that a standard pair of beach trunks can leave them, well, exposed. “I’ve been in a situation where my bathing suit was ripped right off,” said Todd Armstrong of Newport Beach. “It can get a little embarrassing.”