Los Angeles County

14. County Line Beach
Address: 42500 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu 90265
Access: PCH at Ventura/L.A. County line
Facilities: lifeguards, parking
More info: (818) 880-0350

Fred said: "Good parking, right off PCH. Not too many people hang out on the beach, because there are a lot of rocks. It's a nice beach with lifeguards usually and volleyball court on the south end, but it's more of a surfing beach. For swimming most people would go to Zuma.

"I surf at County Line a lot just because it's spread out. The surf varies from good to bad. At the point, you get the better waves, but more people. The beach break is often good. It isn't as much a party beach as it used to be. There's a great place to eat just across PCH called Neptune's Net [42505 PCH]. It's been there forever, been in lots of movies. Bikers like to stop there."

15. Leo Carrillo State Beach
Address: 35000 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu 90265
Access: one mile south of County Line
Facilities: concession, lifeguards, restrooms, showers, picnic tables, camping
More info: (818) 880-0350; (805) 488-1827

Fred said: "Leo's nice whether you're surfing or not. You can park on PCH and walk down the beach or go into the park. If you have a state pass, you're good. If not, you gotta pay. The campgrounds there are pretty nice. Lots of families. It has good tide pools. A lot of movies have been shot at Leo. The surf is good, too -- the bottom is cobblestone, big rounded rocks. The surf comes off the rocks at a nice point and the inside break gets pretty racy."

16. Zuma County Beach
Address: 30050 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu 90265
Access: four miles north of Malibu township
Facilities: concessions, lifeguards, restrooms, showers
More info: County Lifeguard Service, Northern Section, (310) 394-3264; lifeguard station (310) 457-2525

Fred said: "Huge beach, and very popular with all the 'Vals' [from the San Fernando and, ahem, other inland valleys]. No problem with localism at Zuma because people go there from all over. For families it has everything you'd need, including volleyball courts and a little boardwalk. In summer it's just packed. Occasionally the surf gets really good at the south end, at Drainpipe, where there's a pipe-esque, tubular wave. When it's going off, Zuma's one of the heaviest beach breaks in California."

17. Point Dume County Beach
Address: 7103 Westward Road, Malibu, 90265
Access: end of Westward Beach Road, on north side of Point Dume
Facilities: lifeguards, restrooms, showers
More info: County Lifeguard Service, Northern Section, (310) 394-3264

Fred said: "Parking is very limited — maybe only 15 cars. You gotta park on the bluff up top and take the stairway down the cliff to the beach. There's good surf off of Big Dume, which is what the big point is called. It's all rocky bottom and on big swells the waves can get hollow. If you can't surf [well], I wouldn't recommend it. Sometimes, when the surf's really good, [beginners] will get a little vibe from the locals. Little Dume is the beach where you need a key or know someone who lives there in order to get through the gate. It's a nice point break, like Big Dume, unfortunately."

18. Paradise Cove
Address: 28128 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu 90265
Facilities: concessions, lifeguards, restrooms
More info: (310) 457-2511

Fred said: "A pretty, picturesque place for families especially, but more secluded than Zuma. You have to pay to get into the parking lot, and can't take surfboards in, so no surfing."

19. Malibu Lagoon State/County Beach
Address: 23200 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu 90265
Access: PCH, north of Surfrider Beach adjacent to Malibu Creek; entrance for parking and the wetlands nature area is at Cross Creek Road.
Facilities: see Surfrider Beach
More info: County Lifeguard Service, Northern Section, (310) 394-3264; (818) 880-0350
Web sites: ci.malibu.ca.us/ and parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=835

Fred said: "Park on PCH or in the state lot. I usually park on the street — the walk's not that far. The Malibu scenery is sometimes really nice and other times, well, just make sure you've had your hepatitis shots. The Lagoon is the rivermouth [emptying from Malibu Creek] and the recent rainstorms washed a bunch of crap onto the beach. It was closed for a while — you definitely would have gotten sick going in the water there. Malibu's Third Point is at the very top, and more like a beach break. The surf can get pretty good, but watch out for urchins in the winter. For facilities, it's pretty much connected to Surfrider Beach."

20. Surfrider Beach
Address: 23200 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu 90265
Access: PCH just northwest of Malibu Pier
Facilities: concessions, lifeguards, showers, restrooms, parking
More info: See Malibu Lagoon

Fred said: "Surfrider Beach includes Malibu's Second and First Points, going south from the Lagoon and Third Point toward Malibu Pier. The pier is technically closed for repairs. Surfrider is the most famous part — yeah, Gidget's beach. California surf culture is all over the place, with a lot of people hanging out on the beach.

"It's probably one of the best small point breaks in the world, and no secret, either — the world's most famous surfing spot. There are places to rent surfboards, so you have the beginners and the pros all out together, and it's crowded every day. In the summer it's so packed you'll never get a wave to yourself.

"There are definitely conflicts in the water just because some people get frustrated they're not getting any. The locals get the best waves, of course, and there's a pecking order in the lineup. But there are so many people, the locals understand they can't kick everybody out of the water.
"At Surfrider, you learn to jockey for position in the lineup, how to maneuver through a crowd. After a session, a lot of guys just hang out on the beach the rest of the day. It's really nice, a lot of fun.
"The closer you get to L.A., the more beach culture you get. Where we started up in the Ventura area, the beaches are more natural and secluded. The closer we get to L.A., the more crowds and commercialized beach culture we get."

21. Topanga County Beach
Address: 18700 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu 90265
Access: PCH just north of Topanga Canyon Boulevard
Facilities: concessions, lifeguards, restrooms, showers, picnic tables
More info: County Lifeguard Service, Northern Section, (310) 394-3264

Fred said: "Topanga's a good place. It has parking right off PCH. The point is like a little Malibu, but the surf's not as good. It's like everything a step down from Malibu. There'll be crowds with a lot of guys in the surf. The people on the beach tend to be flower children from up Topanga Canyon. It's pretty laid-back, nobody bothers you.

22. Will Rogers State Beach
Address: 17700 Pacific Coast Highway, Pacific Palisades 90272
Access: off PCH a mile north of Sunset Boulevard
Facilities: concessions, lifeguards, restrooms, showers
More info: County Department of Beaches and Harbors, (310) 305-9503

Fred said: "It's your typical California movie beach — 'Baywatch' was filmed here. It has a big parking lot and lots of people go there to hang out. It's great for families but not surfing. It's usually pretty clean, so it's a great beach when you want to throw a Frisbee, play catch or just lie out on the sand."

23. Santa Monica State Beach
Address: 1642 Promenade, Santa Monica 90401
Access: For stretch north of Santa Monica Pier, take Santa Monica Freeway (I-10 west) to PCH north; park in a lot on left. Pier and south beach, exit the 10 at 4th Street, right to Colorado Avenue, left to Ocean Avenue; go straight onto pier, or left then right to Ocean Front Walk and beach
Facilities: concessions, restrooms, showers, picnic tables
More info: County Lifeguard Service, Central Section, (310) 394-3264

Fred said: "The most packed piece of beach on the planet when it's a hot, sunny day. Not too much surfing. The stretch from Santa Monica south to Venice is a beach break, so on any given day it can be like Lake Erie, totally flat, or it can be firing if a sand bar happens to be there and the swell is right. But that's rarely the case.

"My favorite spot to park is in the big lot off of Bay Street [off Neilson Way one block south of Pico Boulevard], because it's easy and right in front of the beach. There are so many people there that even if there's no surf, you can check out the boardwalk, rent a beach-cruiser bicycle, take a walk on the pier."

24. Venice Beach
Address: Venice Speedway from Washington Boulevard north to Santa Monica border, Venice 90291
Access: San Diego Freeway (405) south, exit Washington Boulevard, west to beach Facilities: concessions, lifeguards, restrooms, showers, picnic area
More info: County Lifeguard Service, Central Section, (310) 394-3264
Web site: venicebeach.com/

Ventura County

1. Hobson County Park
Address: 5210 W. Pacific Coast Highway, Ventura 93001-9759
Access: northwest of Ventura on Highway 101, exit Seacliff
Facilities: camping, RV hookups, restrooms, showers, concessions
More info: County Department of Parks and Recreation, (805) 654-3951 (also reservations); gsa.countyofventura.org/parks/parkinfo.htm#HOBSON

2. Rincon Parkway North
Address: Pacific Coast Highway, Ventura 93001-9759, between Hobson and Faria.
Access: northwest of Ventura on Highway 101, exit Seacliff to Old PCH.
Facilities: RV camping
More info: (805) 654-3951; gsa.countyofventura.org/parks/parkinfo.htm#RINCON

3. Faria Beach County Park
Address: 4350 W. Pacific Coast Highway, Ventura 93001-9759
Access: northwest of Ventura on Highway 101, State Beach exit
Facilities: camping, RV hookups, restrooms, showers, concessions, picnic tables
More info: (805) 654-3951; gsa.countyofventura.org/parks/parkinfo.htm#FARIA

Fred said: "I consider Rincon Parkway to be everything between Hobson and Faria. There are two good little campgrounds — at Hobson on the north end and Faria at the south — that have about 30 spots each with RV hookups. There are fire pits for barbecuing, and snack shops and gift shops. Faria has a playground, so it's all good for the family. The crowds are pretty mellow because it's really spread out and a lot of people just hang out in their RVs, so you can have a little privacy, too.

"For surfing, it's a long beach break, a three- or four-mile stretch with various peaks. At Faria, at the very south end of the campground, there's Pitas Point, which has really good surf. It's a bunch of rocks that separate the campground from the beach. There's not a lot of parking for surfers, so PCH is packed with cars parked on the side of the road, 'cause you have to park and walk down to the beach. When Pitas is going, it's a really racy point ride. It's usually good at low tide on a winter swell."

4. Solimar Beach
Address: Pacific Coast Highway, Ventura 93001-9759
Access: northwest of Ventura on Highway 101, "Beaches" exit; follow road 1.7 miles past Emma Wood State Beach, park on left
Facilities: none

Fred said: "A good place to go if you just want to hang out. There's a good little beach and pretty good parking right alongside PCH. There's public access, you're allowed to go on the beach right there, but it's actually by one of the richest housing communities so all the houses are really nice there. The beach is sheltered from the wind, another reason a lot of people like to relax there. Occasionally there's some good surf. There's an outer reef about a quarter-mile out that breaks on big swells. It's deep water, kinda sketchy. You know it's big when it's breaking out there."

5. Emma Wood State Beach (North & South)
Address: Pacific Coast Highway, Ventura 93001-9759
Access: north of Ventura on Highway 101, take "Beaches" exit; follow road.
Facilities: camping, lifeguards, restrooms, showers, picnic areas, barbecue pits
More info: (805) 648-4610, (805) 648-4807, (805) 648-3918, (805) 899-1400 or (805) 968-1033; parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=604

Fred said: "Good family beach. There's a campground on the south end, but you have to pay to get in. No restrooms on the north end. If you go to surf you can park up top, in the lot right off the freeway. You can see over the whole beach, then walk down across the railroad tracks. There are some good little waves on the inside. Dane Reynolds and the Malloy brothers surf there a lot. It's called Ventura Overhead on the very outside, another deep-water break like Solimar. When Overhead's really big, it's a California version of Sunset Beach in Hawaii.

"The whole stretch from Hobson down to Emma Wood is kind of secluded. There aren't shops or tourist stuff. Closer to Ventura there are surf shops where you can rent or buy a board. My favorite is the Ventura Surf Shop [88 E. Thompson Street; phone (805) 643-1062]. They have a good selection of new and used boards and rentals. They also rent wetsuits and everything else."

Fred said: "Not really a surfing spot, which is fine, because there are so many people and so much other stuff to do.

"I was just down in Venice on the Speedway a few weeks ago with a couple of friends. I just like to sit there and watch people. Sometimes you see somebody riding on the bike path just eat it, really hard. It's pretty funny.

"So it doesn't matter if you surf or swim, the beach is a win-win — as long as you go, you'll have a good time," Fred De La Vega said.