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CA Coastal Recommendations near LA for 2-4 week Stay in July/August

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Goofy_Footed

Nep status
Jul 31, 2016
629
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I'll be tagging along with the wife on a 2-4 week business trip out to CA in July or August. Hoping the erbb can help me out with some recommendations on the best cities to stay in. We'll be renting a place via Airbnb, Vrbo, etc. Her only requirement is that the place is no more than 1-1.5 hours from LA via car. My only requirement is that it's within walking/biking distance to the beach and a decent, consistent break for that time of year (priorities, amirite).

Right now she's been looking in Huntington and Newport, but we're open to other suggestions. We'll have a car, so I'll be able to drive to surf at times, but I'd really like to be able to walk/bike to a spot on the regular.
 
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Sharkbiscuit

Duke status
Aug 6, 2003
26,793
19,733
113
Jacksonville Beach
Goofy_Footed said:
I'll be tagging along with the wife on a 2-4 week business trip out to CA in July or August. Hoping the erbb can help me out with some recommendations on the best cities to stay in. We'll be renting a place via Airbnb, Vrbo, etc. Her only requirement is that the place is no more than 1-1.5 hours from LA via car. My only requirement is that it's within walking/biking distance to the beach and a decent, consistent break for that time of year (priorities, amirite).

Right now she's been looking in Huntington and Newport, but we're open to other suggestions. We'll have a car, so I'll be able to drive to surf at times, but I'd really like to be able to walk/bike to a spot on the regular.
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Sounds like your primary options are North OC or North LA. Having driven the stretch from Bay Street to Clownty Line, I'd go with HB/Newps sight unseen.
 
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One-Off

One-Off

Tom Curren status
Jul 28, 2005
14,270
10,472
113
33.8N - 118.4W
Your choice is between crowded beach breaks (OC) or super crowded point breaks (North LA). South Bay is pretty much flat that time of year. If you have a $400 a night there's some nice Air BNBs in Malibu. o_O
 
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G

Goofy_Footed

Nep status
Jul 31, 2016
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Sharkbiscuit said:
Sounds like your primary options are North OC or North LA. Having driven the stretch from Bay Street to Clownty Line, I'd go with HB/Newps sight unseen.
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One-Off said:
Your choice is between crowded beach breaks (OC) or super crowded point breaks (North LA). South Bay is pretty much flat that time of year. If you have a $400 a night there's some nice Air BNBs in Malibu. o_O
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Gracias. Kind of what we were thinking, but wanted to make sure we weren't overlooking anything.

I'm sure they're both crowded AF in the summer, but would either HB or Newport be any less crowded than the other, or possibly have lesser breaks on offer that might not be as crowded? I'm down to surf a wave that's 75% as good with 90% less people.
 
C

CutnSnip

Phil Edwards status
Sep 11, 2018
5,926
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Probably dropping in on you, California
Newps is crowded and is a PITA. HB is super manageable crowdwise. So many sandbars - alot of current - it keeps people spread out except at the pier.

LA is gonna be boring. Not easy to get around etc. Id post up in Newps or even Laguna/Dana Point - then youre a short drive to lots of stuff surf wise - and about an hour and 15 minutes to central LA.
 
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S

Sharkbiscuit

Duke status
Aug 6, 2003
26,793
19,733
113
Jacksonville Beach
CutnSnip said:
Laguna/Dana Point - and about an hour and 15 minutes to central LA.
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Like, for a Floridian in a car during normal business commutes, or If your transportation can be described with the words "Fireblade" or "Hayabusa", and your approach involves power-hooning a nooner up and lanesplitting at 165 from the exit for a street in Nate Dogg/Warren G Regulate through the OC towns with high school reality TV shows named after them?
 
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C

CutnSnip

Phil Edwards status
Sep 11, 2018
5,926
6,281
113
Probably dropping in on you, California
Sharkbiscuit said:
Like, for a Floridian in a car during normal business commutes, or If your transportation can be described with the words "Fireblade" or "Hayabusa", and your approach involves power-hooning a nooner up and lanesplitting at 165 from the exit for a street in Nate Dogg/Warren G Regulate through the OC towns with high school reality TV shows named after them?
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*shoulda added - with no traffic. :roflmao:
 
sdsrfr

sdsrfr

Phil Edwards status
Jul 13, 2020
6,000
11,520
113
San Diego
what time of day is your wife planning to drive to LA in 1hr, and which part of LA?

are you familiar with Southern California traffic in the summer, especially near the beaches?

in my experience an hour doesn’t get you very far. not trying to play Debbie downer but July/August is the thick of tourist season and start of blue skies beach weather.

if you could pick between July and August id lean towards August and not during a holiday weekend. July may still have gray skies.
 
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Goofy_Footed

Nep status
Jul 31, 2016
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sdsrfr said:
what time of day is your wife planning to drive to LA in 1hr, and which part of LA?

are you familiar with Southern California traffic in the summer, especially near the beaches?

in my experience an hour doesn’t get you very far. not trying to play Debbie downer but July/August is the thick of tourist season and start of blue skies beach weather.

if you could pick between July and August id lean towards August and not during a holiday weekend. July may still have gray skies.
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All good thanks for the info. She'll only have to drive to LA 3 or 4 times while we're there, and the time of day will be up to her. If the drive is more than an hour, that's ok, she just didn't want to be super far. The rest of the time she (and I) will be working remotely. We just got back from a short trip to HB last week, but have never been there before that. It's looking more like the first of August that we'll be arriving.
 
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sdsrfr

sdsrfr

Phil Edwards status
Jul 13, 2020
6,000
11,520
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San Diego
Goofy_Footed said:
All good thanks for the info. She'll only have to drive to LA 3 or 4 times while we're there, and the time of day will be up to her. If the drive is more than an hour, that's ok, she just didn't want to be super far. The rest of the time she (and I) will be working remotely. We just got back from a short trip to HB last week, but have never been there before that. It's looking more like the first of August that we'll be arriving.
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If it’s more of a remote work trip with a couple trips to HQ then yeah, stay somewhere worth staying, deal with the traffic as you have to.

Southern California has such different beach towns it’s more about which culture you want to be around, imo.
 
G

Goofy_Footed

Nep status
Jul 31, 2016
629
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sdsrfr said:
If it’s more of a remote work trip with a couple trips to HQ then yeah, stay somewhere worth staying, deal with the traffic as you have to.

Southern California has such different beach towns it’s more about which culture you want to be around, imo.
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We're not much for partying any more, so more of a laid back vibe with some decent restaurants and places to grab a few drinks in the area is what we're after. HB was pretty mellow when we were there last week, but I have a feeling it gets pretty rowdy come summer?
 
sdsrfr

sdsrfr

Phil Edwards status
Jul 13, 2020
6,000
11,520
113
San Diego
If it were me, I’d probably aim for north LA, or just north of LA.

laguna/dana point/San Juan Cap would be your quiet hb, but further from LA and closer to San Clemente which has its own traffic nightmares.
 
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Sharkbiscuit

Duke status
Aug 6, 2003
26,793
19,733
113
Jacksonville Beach
Goofy_Footed said:
Yikes! Good call. No thanks on that.

You'll understand this...we're looking for an Atlantic/Neptune Beach, not a Jax Beach in CA.
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Right, but you're also looking to possibly park a car AND maybe even catch a wave, in August? IMHO your options are Oxnard/Port Hueneme to West LA and HB to Oceanside. Lots and lots of Ponte Vedra, but with actual money, not Ponte Vedra "money".
 
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sdsrfr

sdsrfr

Phil Edwards status
Jul 13, 2020
6,000
11,520
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San Diego
that NCSD map is ridiculously accurate. Lol!

your best bet if find somewhere you can afford within walking of where you want to be. as stated, parking can be its own nightmare.
 
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oeste858

oeste858

Phil Edwards status
Sep 11, 2017
7,054
17,549
113
San Diego, CA
CutnSnip said:
Newps is crowded and is a PITA. HB is super manageable crowdwise. So many sandbars - alot of current - it keeps people spread out except at the pier.

LA is gonna be boring. Not easy to get around etc. Id post up in Newps or even Laguna/Dana Point - then youre a short drive to lots of stuff surf wise - and about an hour and 15 minutes to central LA.
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This past summer was flat, so I would expect small to minimal surf, but maybe you get lucky with a summer south swell. Prices would be high, but my preference would be Malibu/Topanga area for points/reefs, if you don't have to drive into LA everyday.
Otherwise, if you can do OC, Laguna Beach (cute walkable beach town) or Dana Point (harbor town next to San Clemente) is nice. Not sure if there's available airBnbs that are walkable to Salt Creek but that's my preferred spot in that zone.
Personally, I wouldn't suggest HB in summer, Newport slightly better.
 
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Goofy_Footed

Nep status
Jul 31, 2016
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Is the surf really that bad in CA in August? Keep in mind that I live in FL and get hyped on knee high mush from early June to mid August.
 
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