Ocean Beach


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Ocean Beach

LOCATION:
Ocean Beach Pier at Niagara Avenue to Dog Beach at the foot of Voltaire Street [Map It]

HOURS:
Accessible 24 hours a day; no camping

PARKING:
Free lots at the foot of Newport near the pier; at the foot of Santa Monica north of the lifeguard station; and to the north end of OB at the foot of Voltaire (Dog Beach)

PHONE:
619/221-8899

FACILITIES: [Legend]

 Beach Information

Special Comments: Ocean Beach, or OB to the locals, has a unique personality among San Diego beach communities. Take a walk down Newport Avenue and you might think you'd traveled through time back to the 1960s. The bleached-blond surfer and leather-clad biker look much as they must have 30 some years ago. Never mind that the biker now owns a dental practice and the surfer is a real estate developer.

Life just moves a bit slower in OB and the residents like it that way. Fast-food chains are prohibited by resolution of the Ocean Beach Town Council. OB strives to attract businesses that are compatible with its bohemian flavor.

The beach itself has great recreational potential. Walk south of the pier at low tide and you'll find excellent tidepools and small, secluded beaches among the rocks. The pier is the longest on the West Coast and is a favorite spot for fishing. The surf on either side of the pier is fair to good and the locals are tolerant of visitors.

The short boardwalk and seawall and small grassy park north from Newport Avenue to the lifeguard station are great places to relax and people watch.

Another park north of the lifeguard station is slightly larger and has several picnic tables. The far north end of OB has several fixed volleyball courts (bring your own net).

Ocean Beach has year-round water activity zones. The area from the lifeguard station at the foot of Santa Monica Avenue to the Avalanche Jetty (the first jetty north of the lifeguard station) is a 24-hour swim zone, although during early-morning hours the swim zone is not well enforced due to limited lifeguard staffing.

If you want an early-morning swim you may have to contend with a few surfers. Water activity zones elsewhere on the beach change during the summer months.

Pay attention to the location of the black-and-yellow checkered flag. On San Diego beaches the lifeguards use this flag to delineate between a surf zone and a swim zone.

There are usually a couple of dangerous rip currents in the water off Ocean Beach. If you are not an accomplished ocean swimmer be sure to ask lifeguards which areas are safe.

There are a few basic laws to remember when visiting Ocean Beach:

1. Alcohol may be consumed but only between the hours of noon and 8 p.m. Alcohol consumption is prohibited at all times on the boardwalk and on or against the seawall.

2. You may have your dog on the beach but only before 9 a.m. and after 6 p.m. During permitted hours, dogs must be leashed at all times and don't forget to clean up after your pets.

3. Fires are permitted on the beach but must be contained either in a city-provided concrete fire square or in an approved container that keeps the fire high enough above the ground so the sand does not become dangerously hot.

4. Glass beverage containers are never permitted on any San Diego beach.

For those with disabilities the Ocean Beach lifeguard station provides a special fat-tired wheelchair designed for rolling over soft sand.

Food/dining: Ocean Beach has a number of excellent and affordable restaurants, most of which are along Newport Avenue. Try South Beach Bar & Grill at the foot of Newport Avenue, or Qwigg's behind the Lifeguard Station on Abbott Street, which is on the pricey side but has an incredible upstairs view. Dempsey's just north of the parking lot at the foot of Santa Monica serves generous and inexpensive breakfasts.

Restrooms: Public restrooms are located on the north side of the Lifeguard Station at the foot of Santa Monica Avenue and at the foot of Brighton Street at the south end of the Voltaire Street Parking lot.

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