California Beaches Blog

I always wondered how cities, municipalities and state governments had the right to tell people that they aren’t allowed to walk on a sandy beach in the moonlight. Too many regulations have robbed humans of their sense of adventure and freedom in enjoying and accessing the sandy shores  next to that untamed ocean. While tourism bureaus tout and promote activities such as the grunion runs, you can’t be at the beach watching grunion runs that occur when local beach curfews kick in, unless you buy a fishing license.  Another problem is finding permitted parking to access a beach for grunion runs. Beach parking lot closures assure that people will not be able to fish because there is no place to park and access the beach.

Laguna Beach, California, is the newest city to join the beach ban by adding a curfew to its city rules & regulations. Why? Too many complaints, noise, possible crime, etc. Laguna Beach features hotels and homes on beaches or overlooking them, and has the most beaches of any city on the Southern California coast. There are over 20 Laguna beaches in a mere five miles distance, and the city’s beaches are truly one of its top tourism assets. Breathtaking to look at, Laguna’s beaches feature tidepools, and activities such as scuba, surfing, body boarding and sunbathing that attract millions of visitors to famed Laguna Beach, also known for its arts that are inspired by the incredible beach setting.

New rules that continue to chip away at freedom are coming in rapid succession. The era in which we live will go down in history and one of great suppression. Among the many beach regulations:

• Alcoholic beverages are not permitted at most Southern California beaches,  with San Diego being one of the last hold-outs to remove that right a year or two ago.
• Smoking at the beach is prohibited.
• Glass is prohibited  in favor of plastic at the beach. Plastic is the Number One polluter of beaches & the ocean. Studies recently found that men absorbing too much plastic in their system are becoming impotent.
• Beach closures and curfews have increased, with the National Parks System threatening Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to keep their lands open, or face removal of funds and possibly even have the lands taken back. Municipalities, home owner associations and other entities try to deny access to beaches by the public.
• Increased parking fees. Public beaches are becoming less accessible by the poor, with flat rate fees of $15 and metered parking of 10 minutes for one quarter prohibitive for the unemployed, retired and low income individuals.
• Removal of bonfire rings to save money has been examined in Carmel, Newport Beach, Orange County beaches, and other places.
• Naturist activities have been banned at most Southern California beaches.
• Sport fishing in a vast area off shore region of the California coast may soon be banned by the Governor’s Blue Ribbon panel.
• Dogs and pets are prohibited at most beaches.

If you feel that your rights have been lost, you are probably correct. In this latest effort by the city of Laguna Beach,
a newly enacted curfew now goes from 1 to 5 a.m. starting Dec. 4. An exemption for “wet sand” activities such as grunion runs, sport fishing, and  scuba diving keep the city within legal bounds of  state law. You could be stopped and fined if you are heading to the wet sand if you were unable to convince an officer that you were heading for the water line of the ocean.  It’s a tough law to regulate.

Kudos to Verna Rollinger, the only council member to object to the curfew when it was adopted recently. Many people agreed with her dissent of majority council consensus and vote.  In her comments, Rollinger said that it’s like saying if one person is speeding or we’re afraid that others will, we’re going to shut down the roads.  She recommended that Laguna Beach enforcement agencies  address  illegal activity on the beach or in the parks on a case-by-case basis.

Beach curfews in Orange County include some of the most stringent regulations and conservative hours on the entire length of the California coast, with Huntington Beach being the most restrictive by prohibiting beach access a full 8 hours (1/3rd) of the 24 hour day.

While efforts by nonprofit-groups to gain access to more of California’s beaches have met with some success, in every step forward on the sand, regulations and curfews push Californians back two steps.