best beach for newbies? (Orange, Burbank: houses, live, swimming pool)

[Destro]

wife and I just relocated to Burbank, anxious to go to a nice, sanitary, not-too-crowded beach. I've heard good things about Zuma (sp?). Any other suggestions?

thanks!

[happ]

I would think anywhere from Pt Dume south to Santa Monica is good\ Pleasure Cove in Malibu is a beautiful beach [where the paparazzi were assaulted this summer Santa Monica\ Venice have warmer ocean temps. These beaches would probably be your closest.

[ConsideringLA]

Hey Destro

You might check out the local beach water quality (broken link)before heading to the beach.

Here's a report from the Nat'l Resources Defense Council:
NRDC's Your Oceans Website : Southern California Beachgoers Water Quality Map

If you navigate the site a bit, you'll find an extensive PDF with exact info with ratings for every beach in So Cal. It's amazing that some beaches just a few miles apart can have wildly varying water quality.

In general, stay away from the Santa Monica pier!

Have fun!

[happ]

Originally Posted by ConsideringLA

Hey Destro

You might check out the local beach water quality (broken link)before heading to the beach.

Here's a report from the Nat'l Resources Defense Council:
NRDC's Your Oceans Website : Southern California Beachgoers Water Quality Map

If you navigate the site a bit, you'll find an extensive PDF with exact info with ratings for every beach in So Cal. It's amazing that some beaches just a few miles apart can have wildly varying water quality.

In general, stay away from the Santa Monica pier!

Have fun!

Nice to see that Laguna Beach\ Orange Co still has good water quality & where I swim.

[Destro]

thanks! I just got sick to my stomach reading about levels of "fecal bacteria" in the water

[ConsideringLA]

Originally Posted by Destro

thanks! I just got sick to my stomach reading about levels of "fecal bacteria" in the water

Exactly ... thus the reason for my posting!! THe pier is fun, but not when you're swimming with uninvited "friends."

[MIKEETC]

You basically will want to stay away from any beach near the terminus of a flood control channel which are basically creeks and rivers that were lined with concrete. In addition to excess rainwater that is routed from further upstream or naturally draining from the watershed, there will be urban runoff that will have excess irrigation water (from people watering their lawns with the attendant fertilizers). There will be automotive-related fluids that leak from cars or were unscrupulously dumped. Fecal matter will most likely be from a variety of animals (human waste will be treated). And then there will be simply litter and a variety of junk.

You especially want to stay away after a rainstorm.

Going back to the animal fecal matter. My Mom has a neighbor who lives directly behind her. Separating the properties is an alley. Once a week or so, he would wash down his driveway. He kept his dogs in the driveway area where naturally they'd do their business. So you can imagine what he was washing into the driveway. This stuff would go straight to the storm drain a few houses away...no treatment. So figure that's headed to the ocean. Granted, we lived about 50 miles from the ocean so perhaps it all got diluted a bit by the time it got to the ocean. But imagine if there are hundreds or thousand of other people doing the same thing. Nasty.

[timelesschild]

Of course, there are millions of sea creatures who do their "business" in the water, whether there is a rainstorm or not. That is the nature of the ocean - it isn't the same as a swimming pool.

[MIKEETC]

Originally Posted by timelesschild

Of course, there are millions of sea creatures who do their "business" in the water, whether there is a rainstorm or not. That is the nature of the ocean - it isn't the same as a swimming pool.

True. I'm just providing him some information. Its his business what he does with it.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by Destro

Any other suggestions?

Point Dume
Leo Carrillo
County Line
Sycamore Canyon
Point Mugu