This policy turns the California mystique to fact in many ways. There is close to absolute freedom on the beach. You can swim, surf, snorkel or whatever you want (within reason) anywhere. And people do. People surf in weird places early in the morning, then shower at the cold water outdoor beach shower, change into their work using the patented "surfer's change" right there by the shower, and go off to be lawyers, teachers, or whatever. Teenage boys jump off rocks into some crazy surf to catch some unique waves. One can be doing this in close proximity to lots of wildlife: pelicans skimming the water just above your head, dolphins playing as they go right by you, sea lions all over the place.
I had an encounter with the latter several years ago in LA. I like to swim out beyond the wave break, then swim parallel to shore for a while. While doing that at Venice Beach early in the morning (in December), I felt something sort of solid touch my foot. I stopped, looked around, and didn't see anything. Being not-so-bright at times, I kept swimming along and it happened again. I thought "damn, I'm going to get "Jaw"sed right here in plain view of millions of people. Looking down under me, I saw a sea lion swimming along happily (or, I guess it was happily, I'm not sure). At this point I decided to swim to shore, the sea lion following all the way. I got out and walked past a bum sleeping on the beach, who says to me "I seen you swimming out there with that sea lion. This ain't f--king Sea World, you know!" That's another aspect of the beach in LA, there are all sorts of people on it, from bums to skateboard kids to 20-30 something singles to bizarre ex- and current-hippies to well-heeled families. It's big enough to handle them all in relative peace.
Anywho, I had one of those near-death-in-civilization experiences a couple of days ago in Oceanside CA, where I was staying for Maddy's graduation. I went out swimming south of the pier, amongst the surfers and such, and had a good relaxing swim beyond the break. I started coming in, just kicking contentedly on my back and heading vaguely towards shore. When I looked up, I was almost directly under the pier, heading straight for some big rocks. The current was pulling me inexorably toward the rocks. When I went to swim away, I found I had "nothing" left in my muscles. Whether it was from not swimming for 4 months, being perhaps a little under the weather, or being 51 and not 31, I don't know, but I had nothing. It was clear that I was going to have an encounter with the rocks, and was going to end up riding waves right onto them. Everything went in slow motion, especially me. I got thrusted onto the rocks once, and tried to grab one but failed. Second time the charm, I held on. Then, it took 5 or 6 iterations of: holding onto rock for dear life whilst the back flow of the wave tried to pull me out; moving up to next rock with legs that could hardly move; holding onto next rock while wave crashed over me. I finally got up to the top, which happened to be the lifeguard headquarters funnily enough.
I find the CA lifeguards amazing: very competent and very mellow. If you go up and ask them about where to swim, they'll generally say "over there's a good place, but you might want to avoid the other side of those rocks because of the rip tide." But they will very rarely tell you not to do something. Very different from east coast lifeguards, who are more like policemen and all but tell you not to run by the water as if you were in a swimming pool. Anyway, California life guards - right on. But, they're not always there and you're on your own quite a lot.
I should just end by going back to the public beach policy in California, and how different it is from any other state I've experienced in the US. Basically, the east coast and Washington State. There can be beautiful expanses of nature, but you're only allowed to walk on a tiny portion of it. We have Governor Moonbeam to thank for California's awesome beach policy (Jerry Brown in his first administration in the 1970s) and the California Costal Commission. These were more-or-less socialist moves over which there was much kicking and screaming at the time. It's going to ruin the economy, the state, the country. Arguably, it has made everything much better. One can think the same way about the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts of the 70s at a national level. Would we ever want to go back to having most rivers/lakes so polluted as to be un-swimmable? Yet, there is STILL ranting about these acts, that they are ruining the country. In many ways, these regulations make the country MORE free, not less.
I find the CA lifeguards amazing: very competent and very mellow. If you go up and ask them about where to swim, they'll generally say "over there's a good place, but you might want to avoid the other side of those rocks because of the rip tide." But they will very rarely tell you not to do something. Very different from east coast lifeguards, who are more like policemen and all but tell you not to run by the water as if you were in a swimming pool. Anyway, California life guards - right on. But, they're not always there and you're on your own quite a lot.
I should just end by going back to the public beach policy in California, and how different it is from any other state I've experienced in the US. Basically, the east coast and Washington State. There can be beautiful expanses of nature, but you're only allowed to walk on a tiny portion of it. We have Governor Moonbeam to thank for California's awesome beach policy (Jerry Brown in his first administration in the 1970s) and the California Costal Commission. These were more-or-less socialist moves over which there was much kicking and screaming at the time. It's going to ruin the economy, the state, the country. Arguably, it has made everything much better. One can think the same way about the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts of the 70s at a national level. Would we ever want to go back to having most rivers/lakes so polluted as to be un-swimmable? Yet, there is STILL ranting about these acts, that they are ruining the country. In many ways, these regulations make the country MORE free, not less.
Anyway, viva la playa Californienne! Not sure that's accurate Spanish but whatever.
Oceanside rocks from above.
Oceanside rocks from pier.
Lifeguards just above rocks.
Some surfers you can barely see. I love those guys/gals.
Pelican on the pier.
Harry, after the fact.
(OK, it was two days after the fact, and actually taken after a swim in the pool from the hotel's 6th floor, but all the feeling was still there).
(OK, it was two days after the fact, and actually taken after a swim in the pool from the hotel's 6th floor, but all the feeling was still there).
* I'm sure there are some exclusions for various things like power plants, military, etc.
Beautiful ocean and sky, Harry! You....rock at that pier! Good job staying unhurt!
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