The beach had been a surfing hotspot until the late 1930s, when the Newport Harbor jetty was extended, leading to the creation of The Wedge as a popular surf break, but shielding Corona from all but the most southerly swells.[3]
Surfing legend Duke Kahanamoku is credited with the first use of a surfboard for rescue purposes at Corona del Mar beach in 1925, when a charted fishing vessel capsized in heavy surf and Kahanamoku rescued people via surfboard.[4]