Published November 3, 2026
NEWPORT BEACH | SURF & COAST | NOVEMBER 3, 2026
There’s a little yellow flag with a black circle at the Wedge that can ruin a board rider’s plans faster than a parking ticket.
It’s called the blackball. And it has been keeping Newport’s surf arguments alive for decades.
The rules of the water
From May 1 through October 31, between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., flotation devices are prohibited at the Wedge. That includes surfboards, bodyboards and skimboards. Bodysurfers get those hours to themselves.
Seven hours a day when your expensive board is basically an oversized beach accessory.
A 1993 compromise
The argument predates Instagram by quite a bit. Local bodysurfers wanted to preserve the Wedge’s longtime identity as a place for people riding waves with nothing but fins and nerve. Board riders wanted access, too.
On May 10, 1993, Newport’s City Council adopted Resolution 93-33. The decision extended the seasonal no-board period from May 1 through October 31, with restrictions from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The council rejected a total, year-round ban. That sounds like compromise, although neither side needed much help finding reasons to keep arguing.
The fight flared up again in 2014, when supporters of changing the rules and the Wedge Preservation Society made their cases.
Still flying
The restrictions remain part of Newport’s official lifeguard guidance. You can still use a board at the Wedge outside those seasonal restricted hours, subject to lifeguard directions and other safety rules.
But when the blackball is up, there’s no VIP list, no special Instagram exception, and no negotiating with the lifeguard tower.
For a place famous for enormous waves, one little piece of fabric has an impressive amount of authority.
Sources: 1993 council resolution 93-33; Newport Beach Lifeguard Operations; Los Angeles Times: May 1993 compromise.
Help us out, Newport.
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