April 25, 2023 12:14 PM PT

This guide includes important rules, safety tips and things you might not know about county beaches.

It’s a mix of insider knowledge from locals, laws and regulations from various beach cities and information shared by colleagues, including science reporter Gary Robbins, who regularly writes about weather and conditions along the coastline.

County residents and tourists alike can learn from these tips, starting with this one: Call (619) 221- 8824 for daily beach, weather, surf and diving conditions.

If you know any hacks that should be added to this story share them here.

Bonfires and fire pits

(Misael Virgen / San Diego Union-Tribune)

The city of San Diego banned wood fires on the sand at its beaches, but you can still have a bonfire inside designated city fire rings. These cement-made rings or fire pits are available on a first-come basis at:

Shelter Island
Ocean Beach
Mission Beach
Mission Bay
La Jolla Shores

Only charcoal, paper products and wood can be used as fuel. Fires must be extinguished before you leave the beach and are not allowed between midnight and 5 a.m.

Outside of the city of San Diego, fire pits can be found at:

Silver Strand State Beach in Coronado
Moonlight State Beach in Encinitas
Harbor Beach in Oceanside
South Carlsbad State Beach
Solana Beach
Coronado Beach

Each city in the county has most of the same regulations, but it is recommended to check each city’s fire pit rules.

Spots for novice swimmers, surfers and for families

(K.C. Alfred/The San Diego Union-Tribune)

For children and novice swimmers, Mission Bay is one the best areas for calm water, because most of it is not bordering the Pacific Ocean. The sandy areas directly west of Interstate 5 are ideal for families, as well as Fiesta Island Park, but be mindful of boaters and people on jet-skis.

Novice swimmers should enter the water in front of lifeguard towers that are staffed and offer good sight lines for lifeguards. Those areas include:

North harbor section of Oceanside
North side of Oceanside Pier
Moonlight State Beach in Encinitas
Fletcher Cove in Solana Beach
Del Mar Beach
La Jolla Shores
Crystal Pier area of Pacific Beach
Mission Beach Park
North side of Ocean Beach
Coronado Beach on north island
North side of Imperial Beach Pier

For more information on lifeguard service on San Diego beaches, go here: sandiego.gov/lifeguards

And don’t forget to shuffle your feet as you enter the water to scare off stingrays.

Dog beaches

(Jarrod Valliere / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

San Diego: In the city of San Diego, you have two options to take your four-legged friend to the beach, off leash. The first is Dog Beach, the city’s only 24-hour beach for dogs, at the northern part of Ocean Beach where it meets the San Diego River. The second is at Fiesta Island, anywhere outside the fenced areas. Dogs are allowed at other city beaches after 6 p.m. from April 1 to Oct. 31 and after 4 p.m. from Nov. 1 to March 31, but need to be on a leash.

Coronado: There is a dog beach on the northern end of Coronado Beach. This 24-hour leash-free beach has an area to rinse off your dog and litter bags at the entrance. There is only street parking, adjacent to the dog beach in a residential neighborhood, so be patient and prepared to walk to the beach.

Del Mar: In Del Mar, dogs are allowed on its beach but at different times based on the beach section and time of year. On the north end, dogs are allowed off-leash after Labor Day through June 15, and from June 16 through Labor Day, dogs must be on a leash from 8 a.m. to dawn. From 29th Street to Powerhouse Park, dogs are not allowed June 16 through Labor Day and leashed dogs are allowed after Labor Day through June 15. At the south end, between Powerhouse Park and 6th Street, dogs are allowed year-round, but must be on a leash at all times.

Potentially dangerous areas

The San Diego Union-Tribune’s science reporter Gary Robbins recommends avoiding these coastal areas because of rough terrain and water conditions.

The Cabrillo Tide Pool has been geotagged over 12,000 times on Instagram, but it’s a place you do not want to get into the water due to rocky topography and low tide levels.

Torrey Pines State Beach has rough waves, a narrow shoreline and rocky cliffs where people can get washed into the rocks during high tides. The state recommends staying away from the bottom of the cliffs since rockslides and cliffs collapse without warning. Rattlesnakes are also known to habitat nearby hiking trails.

Sunset Cliffs National Park often has strong surf and sometimes breaks near the shoreline with carved coastal bluffs, arches and sea caves. Inexperienced surfers should not enter the water and it’s not a good swimming area.

Imperial Beach has steeper sand, so inexperienced swimmers should enter the water only near staffed lifeguard towers.

La Jolla Cove is popular for kayaking, scuba diving and snorkeling, but this area has strong surges and inexperienced swimmers should not enter the water there.

Free public parking

(K.C. Alfred/The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Beaches can get busy during the warmer days of the year. To help, here are beaches that have free parking lots.

San Diego:

La Jolla Shores
Mission Beach
Ocean Beach
Pacific Beach
South Mission Beach
Mission Bay, except at Enchanted Cover and Sail Bay

Del Mar: The city of Del Mar recommends arriving before noon to find free parking space during summer and popular days. Areas with free parking are on Coast Boulevard between 19th and 20th Streets and along Camino Del Mar between Via De La Valle and 24th Street.

Solana Beach: There is a small, free parking lot at Fletcher Cove Park, open 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Encinitas: Moonlight Beach has numerous parking spaces and nearby residential street parking.

Carlsbad: There is a free parking lot at South Carlsbad State Beach and street parking along Carlsbad Boulevard from Cherry Avenue to Tamarack Avenue.

Oceanside: There are a few free parking options. Adjacent to Oceanside Harbor Beach there is 24-hour parking lot at 401 Riverside Drive. There is also all-day free parking lots at 300 North Cleveland St. and at the Oceanside Transit Center.

Lifeguards on duty

(Joshua Emerson Smith/The San Diego Union-Tribune)

The city of San Diego has nine permanent lifeguard stations:

Black’s Beach
Children’s Pool
La Jolla Cove
La Jolla Shores
Mission Beach
North Pacific Beach
Ocean Beach
Pacific Beach
South Mission Beach

There are also several seasonal lifeguard stations in San Diego. At Windansea Beach, there are lifeguards only during the summer and on weekends the rest of the year. Mission Bay beaches have lifeguards during spring break months and start full-time again during the summer. Between November and spring break, there are no lifeguards on duty in Mission Bay.
There are also lifeguards on duty year-round in Carlsbad, Coronado, Del Mar, Imperial Beach, Oceanside and Solana Beach.

Rip current safety

(Courtesy of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)

Big surf and rip currents can hit any spot on the coast.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), rip currents often form on calm, sunny days and, in San Diego, there are many of these days. Rip currents are also common in San Diego County because its shoreline includes coastal bluffs, piers, rock jetties, sandy beaches and underwater reefs.

The city of San Diego states that 80 percent of rescues by lifeguards are due to people caught in rip currents.

NOAA recommends if you are caught in one, to not fight the current. Instead, swim even with the shore until the current weakens and then swim to shore. If you cannot escape a rip current, try to float or tread water, and if you need help call or wave for assistance. NOAA also says you should never swim alone.

Restrooms and showers

(Hayne Palmour IV/For The San Diego Union-Tribune)

At city of San Diego beaches, the following areas have both public restrooms and showers:

Children’s Pool
La Jolla Cove
La Jolla Shores
Mission Beach
North Pacific Beach
Ocean Beach
Pacific Beach
South Mission Beach
All Mission Bay beaches except at Enchanted Cove

Carlsbad: South Pronto Beach and Carlsbad State Beach, on both ends of the beach, have public showers and restrooms.

Coronado: Several public beach restrooms and showers can be found on the central and north end of Coronado Beach and at Silver Strand State Beach, on the north and south sides.

Del Mar: Restrooms and showers are located near the main lifeguard tower on 17th Street.

Encinitas: Showers and restrooms can be found at Moonlight Beach and Swami’s Beach near the bottom of the stairs.

Imperial Beach: Public bathrooms and rinse-off areas are available near the pier.

Oceanside: There are several public showers and restrooms at Buccaneer Beach and just north of the Oceanside Pier.

Solana Beach: Shower and restroom facilities can be found at Fletcher Cove, located at the top of the entrance ramp leading to the beach.

Wheelchair accessibility

A handful of local beaches provide wheelchair rentals or are accessible by special mats on the sand.

Manual beach wheelchairs:

In the city of San Diego: Ocean Beach, Mission Beach, Pacific Beach and La Jolla Shores. Contact a lifeguard tower for information on how to rent one.
Del Mar’s city beach has two available for rent for free at the lifeguard headquarters on 17th Street. Call 858-755-1556.
Oceanside has them at its lifeguard headquarters at 301 N. The Strand. Call 760-435-4018 for more information or go here: fire.ci.oceanside.ca.us/department-overview/divisions/lifeguards/beach-wheelchair-information

Powered beach chairs:

At Mission Beach, powered beach wheel chairs are available to rent for one free hour:

May to October on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and on Saturdays and Sundays during those months from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Call 619-980-1876 for the direct line during beach hours.
In November, December, March and April, the chairs are available for reservation on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. These chairs are unavailable in January and February.

Beach accessibility mats:

The city of San Diego has beach mats that act as walkways on the sand for people in wheelchairs to access the shoreline. Mats are located at:

La Jolla Shores, north of the main lifeguard tower
Mission Beach, in front of the main lifeguard tower
Ocean Beach, at the main lifeguard tower
Pacific Beach, south of the lifeguard tower
South Mission Beach, south of the lifeguard tower
Mission Bay at Crown Point, Bonita Cove, Mission Point and Fanuel Street

You can also find beach access mats on the northern end of Coronado Beach, Cardiff State Beach, Moonlight Beach and Imperial Beach.

How to check beach conditions in advance

An informative website showing live video feeds of the county’s beaches is Surfline.com. It’s known for its surf reports, tide details and other helpful beach information.

Here are some other area web cameras showing beach and bay conditions:

La Jolla Shores: ljshoreshotel.com/beachcam
Coronado Beach: hoteldel.com/live-webcam
Pacific Beach: waterbarsd.com/surf-cam
Ocean Beach: oceanbeachsandiego.com/media/ob-beach-cam
Coronado Ferry Landing: flagshipsd.com/ferry-cam

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