Wedge Question

[SDSkim]

this question is about how the beach actually works...


why is it that wedge breaks soooo much bigger when a SW swell hits compared to other beaches.

like a swell will be 5-7 feet and wedge will be breaking twice as big with waves seeing 12+ feet. is it the way the sea floor is configured up there orrr is it like the direction the beach is facing?


someone please enlighten me

[aneigher24]

im actually am working on a physics project about the wedge...

so far what it seems to me is that, on a south swell the waves roll in faster and larger than they normally would, when they get to that pier, balboa pier, the waves hit it and rebound off.. When they do this they come back and hit the original wave creating a type of "double up" which is why they are larger and are usually shaped in wierd ways...in simple english:)

Hope that helps...
@lex

[(S3)]

im actually am working on a physics project about the wedge...

so far what it seems to me is that, on a south swell the waves roll in faster and larger than they normally would, when they get to that pier, balboa pier, the waves hit it and rebound off.. When they do this they come back and hit the original wave creating a type of "double up" which is why they are larger and are usually shaped in wierd ways...in simple english:)

Hope that helps...
@lex

@lex,

If are doing a physics project on "the" wedge, you might wanna take a little time and study up a bit more. First, the Balboa pier is quite a distance north of the wedge, and secondly, due to its construction and physical characteristics, it's a safe bet that not much wave energy is rebounded/directed southward to the wedge, if any for that matter......

so.....

What you probably meant was the jetty.....

[aneigher24]

haha ya the jetty...the project...def. havent started it yet;) but i think its pretty close to summing it up

[Tommy D.]

this question is about how the beach actually works...


why is it that wedge breaks soooo much bigger when a SW swell hits compared to other beaches.

like a swell will be 5-7 feet and wedge will be breaking twice as big with waves seeing 12+ feet. is it the way the sea floor is configured up there orrr is it like the direction the beach is facing?


someone please enlighten me
The reason wedge breaks bigger than other places is because of a big deep water trench or (drop off) out in the water, just like Blacks and other big wave spots, they all have a big deep water trench so when the swell comes across them they can jack up to as big as the swell or beach can hold, it also adds on to the wae height that the jetty pushes some of the swell back at the wave to increase the size.

[SDSkim]

i see, thanks tommy d

the ocean floor around the jetty, is that all sand or is there rock build up from the possibility that the rocks fall off when 30 foot waves crash on them...

[Tommy D.]

That is all sand, when they drop the rocks it just builds up, those rocks are pretty damn heavy it would take alot for them to be moved.

[SDSkim]

yeah well assuming 30 foot waves would be strong enough to knock over a rock or two....but then agen that jetty has been there forever and it hasnt been dilapitated yet because of the huge waves...

[the Kramer]

that jetty hasnt been there "forever" as you put it.

[toejam]

The reason wedge breaks bigger than other places is because of a big deep water trench or (drop off) out in the water, just like Blacks and other big wave spots, they all have a big deep water trench so when the swell comes across them they can jack up to as big as the swell or beach can hold, it also adds on to the wae height that the jetty pushes some of the swell back at the wave to increase the size.
The water depth at the end of the jetty is 36ft.

[SDSkim]

that jetty hasnt been there "forever" as you put it.
well not literally, lemme rephrase it, "a long time"