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Southern California prepares as big waves brew

A body surfer swims through a wave at Seal Beach, Calif., Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2014. Residents in Southern California coastal areas filled sandbags and built sand berms Tuesday to ward against possible flooding from big and potentially damaging surf spawned by Hurricane Marie off Mexico's Pacific coast. A large southerly swell was expected to produce large waves, rip currents and strong longshore currents in Los Angeles and Ventura counties through Thursday, according to the National Weather Service. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)
A body surfer swims through a wave at Seal Beach, Calif., Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2014. Residents in Southern California coastal areas filled sandbags and built sand berms Tuesday to ward against possible flooding from big and potentially damaging surf spawned by Hurricane Marie off Mexico's Pacific coast. A large southerly swell was expected to produce large waves, rip currents and strong longshore currents in Los Angeles and Ventura counties through Thursday, according to the National Weather Service. (AP Photo/Nick Ut) A body surfer swims through a wave at Seal Beach, Calif., Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2014. Residents in Southern California coastal areas filled sandbags and built sand berms Tuesday to ward against possible flooding from big and potentially damaging surf spawned by Hurricane Marie off Mexico's Pacific coast. A large southerly swell was expected to produce large waves, rip currents and strong longshore currents in Los Angeles and Ventura counties through Thursday, according to the National Weather Service. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)

By Associated Press 3 min read

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. (AP) – The surf was churning in Southern California, and even bigger waves were brewing.

Surfers and gawkers crowded beaches Tuesday while workers hurried to fortify beaches and sandbag low-lying areas against flooding from the serious surf expected to peak Wednesday, brought on by Hurricane Marie spinning off Mexico’s Pacific coast.

At The Wedge in Newport Beach, a famous surfing spot, dozens lined the beach to watch bodysurfers get pounded by storm-driven waves up to 10 feet high. People took photos and video and clapped, whistled, and cheered when a bodysurfer caught one of the swells.

Lifeguards with flippers and rescue batons at the ready patrolled the edge of the water and two rescue boats kept an eye on the dozen or so brave souls in the water. An ambulance was on stand-by near the beach.

Would-be big-wave surfers who came out said they were hoping for swells up to 30 feet Wednesday. If that materializes, it will be the biggest wave event at The Wedge since 1997, when Hurricane Linda produced monster swells, said Tim Burnham, who’s making a documentary about the famed surfing locale.