Any good places to swim? (Richmond, Santa Barbara: live, moving, beach)

[Emery'sMommy]

I know the Pacific in general is cold, especially up north. Are there any decent swimming beaches in the bay area? I've heard Keller Beach in Point Richmond is warmer as well as a bay in Inverness...or should I forget swimming altogether
Just wondering how it will be in June while my husband I are vacationing there for a week.

[richard808]

a few days a year Keller's Beach is perfectly good to swim in, with lots of kids. It's always a beautiful beach (that's a picture of Keller's Beach at City-Data.com, at the top of the steps).

the rest of the time it's just too cold, so no swimmers. seems to me it only gets warm enough in September, but i don't keep track. I live across the street and swim there every chance we get, which ain't often.

come to think of it, my "swimming" there consists of running in and running out and then jumping in the hot tub back home.

you can't actually SWIM in the water around here. well, with a wetsuit, I guess.

[bigdave01]

Maybe you could head down to santa cruz? Is that water swimmable?

[Emery'sMommy]

I think I've given up "swimming" aka wading in the ocean there altogether! Considering I've only really swam in the gulf of mexico which in the summer water temps are in the 80's, I'm thinking the Ca water is just too cold, regardless of where it is! I visited Santa Barbara a couple years ago in March, put my foot in the ocean and couldn't believe that there were kids playing in it and people surfing!
I'll stick to swimming pools in Ca instead:-)

[Sleeestak]

Unless you have a pool or a wetsuit, don't bother.

[5stones]

lived in the bay area for 3 years..went to the beach often... NEVER ever swam! most I was alos in a sweatshirt and shorts! I found the water even in santa cruiz chilly. (I did get in though...knee deep!!)

Seriuosly the only people I ever saw swimming up in the bay area had wet suits on (shortys) My little neice would get in for a while and then she'd be purple for a good hour!

[p-town]

if you want to swim at nor cal beaches, i would be more concerned about the great white sharks than the temperature. if sharks are of no concern, then a good wetsuit can keep you warm if you stay moving.