Sun, Surf and Sand: OC Beaches

Life is all about sun, surf and sand here in Orange County. The southern coast of California is home to hundreds of miles of sun-kissed white sand and wild waves. Orange County alone has 42 miles of coastline. So while driving down bustling Pacific Coast Highway, we should realize just how lucky we are to share these great seas that give us girls in bikinis, surfer boys, endless surf, a myriad of activities and tranquility. So where are these world-renowned turquoise havens?

Each beach has its own unique assets that set it apart from other vacation spots on the West Coast. Orange County hot spots include Seal Beach, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Corona Del Mar, Laguna Beach, Dana Point and San Clemente.

Below Long Beach is Seal Beach, offering its action-packed pier and downtown area. This beach is ideal for swimming, surfing, body boarding and just kicking back. People catch a variety of fish from the pier. There is also a Ruby’s Jewel Café at the pier’s end where each day concludes with a perfect California sunset. Living up to its name, Seal Beach will likely feature families of loud and friendly seals taking in the sun. The beach’s sand is legendary for building the perfect sandcastles due to its texture, color and consistency. The annual Seal Beach Sand Castle Festival attracts teams of all ages to show off their building skills. Another feature of this beach is the Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge, one of the last undeveloped coastal areas in Southern California. This beach provides a warm, small beach town setting for those who want to relax and take in the beauties of the ocean. Jamie Scheller, a first-year sociology major, visits Seal Beach often because “it’s not too crowded.”

By traveling farther down the coast, you will approach the gnarliest beach of them all, Huntington Beach. Internationally known as Surf City, USA, it hosts numerous international surf, skate and volleyball tournaments. Huntington Beach is also home to professional athletes who come to compete in the World Surfing Championships, U.S. Open of Surfing, the Association of Volleyball Professionals Pro Beach Volleyball, the Surf City USA Marathon and the X Games, to note a few. With eight-and-a-half miles of vast coastal terrain, Surf City attracts more than eight million annual visitors. Since it is comprised of Huntington Beach Pier, Huntington City Beach, Huntington State Beach, Dog Beach and Bolsa Chica State Beach, Huntington Beach can offer a variety of exceptional recreational, cultural and entertainment opportunities.

Downtown Huntington Beach is where it is most busy. Watching surfers catch fair waves between the posts of the pier is a common and thrilling pasttime. The pier is always crowded with locals, tourists, fishermen, shoppers and Ruby’s diners. Main Street boasts dozens of surf shops, restaurants and plenty of night life with music and dancing. Local hot spots are Sharkeez and Huntington Surf Shop. Activities along the beaches include biking, jogging, roller blading, skateboarding, beach volleyball, BMX biking, surfing, kite surfing and bonfires. The surf is pretty radical at Huntington Beach because of the natural effect caused by edge-diffraction of ocean swells from Catalina Island (20 miles offshore). The beach faces the southwest and often gets strong currents from hurricanes off the Mexican coast. At the state beach, serious surfers hang out north of the pier; summer beach-goers stay south. For the most bodacious surf culture, climate and atmosphere you should go hang 10 with the locals. Just ask third-year biological sciences major Michelle Shieh, who appreciates Huntington Beach because of its “clean and warm water” and the “shiny sand.”

UC Irvine students are probably most familiar with the Newport/Balboa beach because it’s the closest to campus. Newport Beach offers Newport Harbor, Balboa Island and Peninsula, Corona del Mar State Beach and an ecological preserve. Acclaimed as one of the finest small boat harbors in the world, Newport Beach’s harbor is home to all types of recreational and commercial boats, from the smallest of rowboats to large luxury yachts. The rowing teams of UC Irvine, Orange Coast College and the Newport Aquatic Center all share the Newport waters for practice. Upper Newport Bay consists of marshlands, small sandbars, saltflats and sheer cliffs. Newport is also a major surf destination, especially the famous “wedge.” Bodysurfers from around the world surf the intense south swells created by the nearby jetty. The wedge’s waves have been compared to those of Hawaii, Tahiti and Australia.

Laguna Beach boasts the most beaches, the gnarliest surf spots and the ideal image of what “California Dreamin’” is all about. There are over 30 public beaches and numerous private beaches that are reserved only for the locals. It is home to the most artistic and cultural opportunities in Orange County: the Festival of the Arts, Pageant of the Masters, Sawdust Art Festival and Art-A-Fair. Hundreds of local working artists and famous artists occupy marvelous galleries.

Besides attracting celebrities and talented artists, Laguna also seduces serious surfers. Surfing-only beaches include Brooks Street, Thalia, Salt Creek, Brooks Beach and Rockpile. Salt Creek is known for its lushly landscaped beach and is recognized for its efforts to accommodate pro surfers and surf photographers like Larry Flame. Body surfers love Thousand Steps Beach in South Laguna between 9th and 10th Streets and Aliso Creek Beach. A few secret, local-only dreamlands include Tablerock and Victoria; the rest you have to find out on your own.

Dana Point and San Clemente get the least tourist attention, but the most serious local attention. Richard Henry Dana described Dana Point as the most romantic spot on the California Coast 150 years ago in his classic sea adventure, “Two Years Before the Mast.” In the past, Dana Point and Doheny Beach were legendary for their surf and wicked surf break called Killer Dana. The Beach Boys didn’t fail to mention the celebrated beach in their song “Surfin’ USA.” Dana Point is a small, seaside city filled with surf tradition. It is home to legendary surfboard designers Dewey Weber, Hobie Alter and many more. You can surf, have a bonfire, jet ski, whale watch or just relax at Dana Point Harbor, the Ocean Institute, the Dana Point Marine Life Refuge, Salt Creek Beach Park, Doheny State Park and Capistrano Beach.

San Clemente is one of the top surf capitals in the nation. Home to the infamous Rainbow Sandals, beach culture exudes from every local resident. Surfers feel at peace in this easy-going, chill small town. San Clemente offers the San Clemente pier, San Onofre State Park, Trestles, San Clemente State Beach, Calafia, T-Street, San Clemente City Beach and North Beach. Because of its home-grown surf culture, it’s where the most prominent surf professionals were raised and reside, such as Shane Beschen, Gavin Beschen, Matt Archbold, Christian Fletcher, Mike Parsons, Colin McPhillips, Rocky Sabo, Colleen Mehlberg, Greg Long, Dino Andino, Chris Ward and many others. Beside the Rainbow factory, San Clemente is also the native land of Surfing Magazine, The Surfer’s Journal and Longboard Magazine. This beach town serves as the surfing media capital of the world because of its year-round awesome waves. Beach culture starts early on and it’s not strange to see a four-year-old plundering the waves. San Clemente High School and Dana Hills High School are massive rivals in surfing championships, including the National Scholastic Surfing A national surfing championships.

So grab your bathing suit and towel and take advantage of these divine utopias right outside our doors!

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