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July 12, 2011 -

Beach Use Narrows

Shoreline in Laguna Beach will become a no-fishing area this fall, starting with the implementation of three Marine Protected Areas on October 1, according to the L.A. Times.

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January 25, 2011 -

New Resource: Beachapedia

A new resource for coastal access and use issues is Beachapedia, a wiki on coastal issues put together by Surfrider Foundation activists, scientists and staff.

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November 18, 2010 -

Curfews Being Challenged

Curfews and closures have become more popular with local governments recently.  One example was the overnight closure of beaches in Dana Point cited here back in February.

According to an L.A. Times article, the coastal commission is finally moving to fight against these restrictions on beach access.  Good article by Tony Barboza that highlights not only the direct issues, but the confusing patchwork or regulations and ordinances governing access times on various beaches and access points.

Inconsistent regulation of access is nothing new: flashback to this 2006 post from San Diego’s Pacific Beach.

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September 22, 2010 -

Lifeguard Cuts in San Diego?

NBC San Diego is reporting that critics of a proposed new sales tax in San Diego (Proposition D) are suggesting lifeguard cuts as an alternative to higher tax rates.

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September 10, 2010 -

Illegal Filming in Laguna Beach

The crew of The Real Housewives of Orange County has reportedly been citing for filming lifeguards in training without a permit for commercial photography and filming.

Read on…

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July 18, 2010 -

Cliff Jumping

Good article in today’s New York Times about the summer rituals of cliff jumping near the Bronx into the Hudson River, and the legal and law enforcement issues.  This should definitely resonate with those southern California veterans of The Clam and other natural diving spots.  Even the fans of the unnatural, but unapproved spots, like this one we saw in Kona last month should appreciate the issues.

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June 26, 2010 -

Swimming Without A Lifeguard

Swimming without a lifeguard.

Not recommended?  Certainly.

Have we done it?  Absolutely (as recently as two weeks ago near Kona on the Big Island for me).

Should it be illegal?  No.

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June 20, 2010 -

Technical Post

Now running WordPress 3.0. Upgrade seems to have gone smoothly, but a couple of those waves at Magic Sands hit kinda hard last week and I might be just imagining things. Please comment if anything seems off.

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June 13, 2010 -

East Coast Examples

Good article in today’s New York Times on conflict between those who visit local Wiborg Beach with their dogs, and those who don’t. Fortunately (said as a dog owner who loves beaches), compromise in this case seems to revolve around limiting hours dogs are allowed on the beaches, not the draconian bans of dogs popular in so many places.

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March 7, 2010 -

Lifeguards Still Needed and Still Being Hired

Despite massive budget cuts in all areas of state and local government in California, with furloughs and threatened layoffs in the news almost daily, lifeguards are still being hired for the upcoming summer season around southern California.

A schedule of tryouts in the different communities is up at the Orange County Register’s Beach Blog.

The Register also has a report on the conditions and the competitors at the March 6 tryout in Huntington Beach.

We had the chance to watch the tryouts at Laguna Beach a few years ago after brunch with some friends at the Greeter’s Corner Cafe there, and snapped a few photos that might give you an idea of what the prospective lifeguards are in for at these tryouts.

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Interesting Sites

Beachapedia.org Beachapedia
Cal. Coastal Commission Like them or not, they are one of the biggest players around when it comes to coastal access in California.
Howling Point Your moderator’s personal site. He does have a life outside of this, as shown by the occasional gaps in posting.
Surfrider Foundation Activities and campaigns for clean water, beach access, beach preservation and protecting special places.