Newport Point

Newport Point is a powerful left-hand point break that requires specific swell-wind alignment to perform. The waves are steep and heavy with tight barrels in the 50-meter peeling section, particularly when overhead. It demands solid fundamentals and respect for the power, as the thick, throaty waves feel more formidable than their size suggests. It's a finicky break that only materializes during south-southwest groundswells with short periods and a northeast offshore wind, typically at low tide; most days the swell either comes from the wrong angle or passes through without triggering it, earning it a reputation as a "gadget wave" among locals.

The break has been surfed since at least the 1970s, when it was photographed with surfers John van Ornum and Scott Preiss in 1973. Richie Collins surfed it in the 1980s. The spot gained notable sessions during Hurricane Marie in 2014 when coastal swell elevation created more consistent shape. While less iconic than The Wedge to the south, Newport Point occupies an important place in the larger Newport Beach lineage, a region born from the mid-century California surf boom.

The break is located where the Newport Peninsula transitions from southwest-facing to south-facing coastline, just south of Newport Pier near 18th Street. Parking is street-side with scattered metered spots. The break can draw crowds during rare good conditions, and like much of central Orange County, the nearshore water quality and rip currents demand awareness.