Got beach concessions, catering and food questions? Call our buddies at Zacks 714.536.0215

When you're driving into Huntington Beach with Thomas Map (if you're really old fashioned), your Google map, Mapquest or GPS, you'll most likely be heading to one of the city's three distinct beaches as nearly 11 million guests do each year.

Nothing can be more frustrating than getting lost or not anticipating the cost of your venture to the beach. Sure, the beach is free. But if you drive there, and most people do, you'll have to pay to park on a hot summer day. While there is some free parking inland, most people aren't in the mood for hiking a half a mile or more, so they must be prepared to pay the attendant fees at the gate entries to the state and city operated beaches.

Among the most asked question about how to get to the beaches is the question, how do we establish a place to meet at the beach? Unfortunately the HB lifeguard towers can move and the beach operations people will tell you not to count on the lifeguard tower numbers.  So your best bet is to establish meeting spots between two major streets and then have one person stand near the entry to wave their guests on those extremely busy days.

Rentals are available at the beach. You can rent a bicycle, rent skates, tandem bikes, umbrellas, beach chairs, volleyballs, wetsuits, surfboards, boogie boards and even a sand wheelchair.

Lotions & notions are also available at the beach. You can buy suntan lotion, beach towels, sand towels, film, disposal cameras, aspirin, sunglasses, flip flops and more.

Firewood is sold at the beach concessions for the first-come first-serve bonfire pits. Our favorite beach shack is Zacks.

Public bathrooms are available at each beach.  You may have to walk a few feet or half a block, but you'll find them and in the summer, there may be a line.

Food is available at the beach concessions and many restaurants nearby that you can access on foot.  Burgers, fries, sodas, smoothies, sandwiches, tacos and all kind of foods are sold.

Hours: Beaches in Huntington Beach are open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. The pier is open at 5 a.m. and closes at midnight.

Surfing lessons are available at the beach, call Zacks 714.536.0215

Explain the beach names...aren't they all the same. Yep, it's the same sand. The only difference is who charges the parking fee. Here's the deal: The beach parking prices used to be cheaper at the two state beaches. Their prices are now so similar to the city beach that you may save a buck or two seasonally. It just depend. North to South are: Bolsa Chica State Beach on Pacific Coast Highway from Warner to Seapoint. Huntington City Beach runs between Seapoint and Beach Boulevard. Huntington State Beach runs between Beach Blvd. and Brookhurst Street, where the Santa Ana rivermouth runs into the ocean at Newport Beach. Dog Beach is located between Seapoint and Golden West Streets.

There's an 8.5 mile beach path that's paved for riding, skating, walking and jogging.  It connects to the Santa Ana River Trail at Brookhurst and Pacific Coast Highway.

Fire rings are dispersed among the beaches, though none are located next to the pier. Firewood is sold at beach concessions. Fire rings for bonfires are available to those who come first and stake a claim.

Lifeguards are at the beach watching over you but do look for them and take a buddy into the water with you. You should know a little bit about the powerful beach waves that hit shore at this west-facing beach.  They can come in as rip currents that descriptively signify a tearing or grabbing effect. These waves can grab you in their clutch and instead of pushing you to shore, pull you out further into the water. Do not panic. There a section on how to swim in these dangerous currents.