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Record heat makes SoCal beaches a popular destination

March 14, 2015

Santa Monica Beach (Korea Times file)

LOS ANGELES (CNS) – Record-breaking hot weather made Southern California beaches a popular destination today.

More than one million people this weekend were expected to hit the 37 miles of coastline between San Pedro and Zuma Beach under the watch of Los Angeles County lifeguards, said Capt. Kenichi Haskett, Ocean Lifeguard Captain
with the county fire department.

“The beaches are packed,” he told City News Service about 3:15 p.m.

The largest beachside parking lots — in Santa Monica, Venice, Playa del Rey and Manhattan Beach — filled up between 11 and 1 p.m., Haskett said.

Many beach-goers were taking to the water, but there were no major incidents to report and the number of water rescues was not out of the ordinary, Haskett said.

Temperatures were a little warmer than usual for this time of year but still somewhat chilly: 61 to 62 degrees. Small waves, 2-3 feet high, weren’t drawing huge numbers of surf riders into the drink, he said.

“People are definitely going in the water, we are just making sure they go in front of our towers,” Haskett said.

The hot weather and outset of spring break season has prompted the opening of more lifeguard towers than is typical for this time of year and seasonal lifeguards were also being deployed earlier than usual, he said.

Orange County beaches were also seeing summer-like crowds.

Inland heat was driving people to the beach, Laguna Beach lifeguard Lt. Kai Bond told the Orange County Register.

A healthy south swell began sending 3- to 4-foot waves ashore beginning Friday, with some 5-foot breakers and strong rip curents expected today, according to The Register.

Newport Beach lifeguards had extra staff on a number of beaches.

“We have two of the three important elements,” Newport Beach lifeguards battalion chief Brent Jacobsen told The Register. “We have some surf coming in and we have warm weather.

“And the water temperature isn’t super hot yet, but it’s a little warm for this time of year, so people are trunking it.”