Over the first week of July, a hefty south swell lit up some marquee spots along the left coasts of the Americas. We’ll begin at The Wedge, where Bobby Okvist sends it. Photo: Ginsberg

Is this even a wave? Does this even count as surfing? Photo: Ginsberg

Murphy Bartling in too deep, bracing for impact. Photo: Ginsberg

It takes speed and courage and a healthy dosage of dumb luck to make a wave at The Wedge. Ask Stephan Figueiredo. Photo: Parkin

Tyler Gunter showcased at the zoo that is The Wedge. Photo: Ginsberg

Many will enter…Photo: Ginsberg

…few will exit. Stephan Figueiredo counting his luck. Photo: Parkin

Down south, real south, to Nicaragua, where Manuel Resano geared up and dropped in. Photo: Diaz

Small crowd, big tube; Manuel Resano sticking to the formula for success in Nicaragua. Photo; Diaz

An empty offshore gem to haunt your dreams as we wait for the next swell. Photo: Diaz

GoPro went public, and their marketing manager Adam Instone went private. Off the grid and under the lip. Photo: Glaser

Kelly Slater doing as Slater does, toying with the ocean and getting barreled at will. Photo: Glaser

Grabbing rail and scraping the walls, Mike Parsons staying busy in the shade. Photo: Glaser

Perfect symmetry in Puerto Escondido, where this particular swell created what are sure to be some of the summer’s best sessions. That’s Raul Haro, on the right. Photo: Hinkle

If a south swell hits Puerto and Greg Long isn’t there to surf it, does it even count as a swell event at all? Photo: Neves

Spencer Pirdy looks back from whence he came on a muddy Puerto bomb. Photo: Neves

High noon for Nic Vaughan on his backhand at Playa Zicatela. Photo: Nabavi

Marcial Monreal is a Puerto local who surfs like he carries the weight of the wave’s reputation on his shoulders. Photo: Neves

Ricardo Dos Santos, spinning. Photo: Neves

Ricardo Dos Santos, winning. Photo: Neves

Absolutely dwarfed by the magnitude of this south swell in Puerto, Spencer Pirdy races for safer pastures. Photo: Neves

At Your Own Risk