San Diego Beaches

Blacks Beach has a sandy strip that is at the base of 300-foot-high cliffs. The city of San Diego and the state of California both own the beach. At the stop of the cliffs are glider ports, which are used by hangliders and paragliders. Getting to the beach can be difficult because of the high cliffs. It's best to enter Blacks Beach from other northern or southern beaches. Lifeguards are only on duty from Spring Break through the end of October. There's an emergency call box at the southern end of the beach at the bottom of the road.

Lifeguards are regularly staffed at Children's Pool. They usually patrol the beach from 9 a.m. to dusk during the summer, but they may not begin their shifts until 10 a.m. during other times of the year. Scuba divers frequent this beach because of the reefs that lie just offshore. Be careful because those same reefs can also cause strong currents. The beach is protected by a seawall and attracts seals and sea lions. You can reach Childre's Pool from the La Jolla's commercial area.

La Jolla Cove is a favorite with photographers, scuba divers, and snorklers because of its beautiful panoramic views and its abundant marine life. La Jolla Cove is in the San Diego La Jolla Underwater Park Ecological Reserve, so you can look but not touch the marine life. The beach is between two sandstone cliffs within walking distance from La Jolla's commercial district. Lifeguards are on duty here throughout the year.

La Jolla Shores is one of the gentlest beaches in San Diego. Many scuba masters hold classes for novices here because of the calm waters. This beach is near Kellog Park, which has a main lifeguard station and space for picnicking. La Jolla Shores is close to the San Diego La Jolla Underwater Ecological Reserve. Fishing and removing marine life from the area are prohibited. At the northern end of the beach is The Scripps Institute of Oceanography and Scripps Pier. The Steven Birch Aquarium is also nearby. This beach has a permanent lifeguard station that is staffed from 9 a.m. until dusk.

Mission Beach doesn't just provide sand and surf. The beach has shops, restaurants, beach rental places, and a boardwalk. Walking and bicycling are permitted on the boardwalk, as long as participants don't go more than 8 miles per hour. Vehicles with more than two wheels – except those driven by the disabled — are prohibited. The beach is the center of a beach called “The Strand,” which is more than two miles long. Lifeguards are on duty from 9 a.m. to dusk.

North Pacific Beach is north of Crystal Pier a mile from the northern end of Pacific Beach to the southern end of La Jolla. Tourmaline Surfing Park, on the be's northern end, has publi parking and facilities. Surfers and sailboarders frequent North Pacific Beach. Visitors are usually safe on this beach because lifeguards are staffed here year-round

Ocean Beach is in the Ocean Beach community, which is south of the Mission Bay Channel entrance. The mile-wide beach has a volleyball area, and the Ocean Beach Municipal Pier is on the southern end of the beach. Visitors can walk and fish on the pier, which also has a bait shop and a restaurant. Ocean Beach also features a Dog Beach where dogs can run without a leash; however, owners must clean up after their pets. Lifeguards are on staff daily and additional ones are placed in the lifeguard towers during the summer months.

Surfers and sailboarders frequent Pacific Beach, which is north of Crystal Pier. There are facilities and public parking at Tourmaline Surfing Park, which is located on the northern end of Pacific Beach. Lifeguards patrol the beach year-round.

South Mission Beach is located near the Mission Bay Channel. This beach is the widest in San Diego. South Mission Beach is also a place for volleyball and basketball players to engage in sports. The beach has a full staff of lifeguards, and provides extra lifeguards in seasonal towers during the summer.

Visitors should only swim at Windansea Beach when a lifeguard is on duty. They are staffed on the weekends in the spring and September, and daily in the summer from 9 a.m. to dusk. Windansea Beach is known for its beautiful scenery with underwater reefs, but it also has a rocky shore with surf breaks. The beach has a shorebreak, which is a condition on steep beaches that causes hard surfs to break on the shoreline. Swimmers should enter and exit the water carefully to prevent spinal injuries.