Surfers got their boards and bodies wet. Strollers got sand between their toes. The smell of salty sea air was blocked only by the required face masks.
Los Angeles County’s beaches opened for active uses Wednesday, May 13, six weeks after closing to stem the spread of the coronavirus — and many folks wasted no time heading to the water.
Surf-starved wave riders hit the water early in the morning, from Palos Verdes Peninsula to Malibu, to take advantage of a swell that’s been hitting Southern California beaches for days, with 3-to-4 foot waves still hanging around. Strollers and joggers across the county, including in Long Beach, found wide stretches of sand on which to perform their morning workout.
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City-owned beaches in Long Beach, Torrance and Hermosa Beach also opened Wednesday for active use only.
State Parks beaches in Los Angeles County, such as Leo Carrillo, opened on Wednesday as well, still with parking restrictions, said Kevin Pearsall, State Parks Orange Coast District spokesperson.
In the South Bay, though, the Strand, the piers, bike path and concrete walkways will remain closed during this initial phase, officials have said. Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach parking lots will remain closed, according to officials, though Redondo has opened the Esplanade for walkers.
In Long Beach, there were no crowds early on at Rosie’s Dog Beach, though several dogs bounded about happily.
“They could smell the ocean and they were pulling on the leash to go,” Jorge Rubio said about his dogs. “The humans are happy to be back as well.”
More people were using Long Beach’s bike and pedestrian path, which opened earlier this week, than were enjoying the water — possibly because the waves weren’t as impressive as elsewhere in the county.
Woody Wiggins and Vika Levin wanted to surf at Long Beach, but the condition’s were poor, so they walked around instead. Still, they were happy about the reopening.
“Long Beach isn’t a crazy busy beach so I think it’s a good move,” Wiggins said. “The open space is better for people than cramped in a grocery store.”
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The opening of Los Angeles County’s beaches was the last piece of the coastal puzzle, lifting weeks-long closures amid the coronavirus pandemic, with Orange County’s 42-miles of coastline already open for active recreation and San Diego adopting similar rules at beaches that opened about two weeks ago. Ventura County beaches have also been open for weeks.
RELATED LINK: WHICH BEACHES ARE OPEN OR CLOSED? SEE A FULL LIST OF RULES AND REGULATIONS HERE
But initially Wednesday, it was unclear whether LA County’s beaches were actually open.
A notice on the county’s Department of Beaches and Harbors website said the shoreline opened for active use only on Wednesday. But the day before, a spokesperson for county Supervisor Janice Hahn’s Office said the director of the Department of Public Health had to first issue an order opening beaches, since they were initially set to remain closed through Friday.
But then, Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer, during her afternoon coronavirus press briefing, said beaches had, in fact, opened Wednesday.
“As our outdoor spaces are reopening, the departments who oversee them are making sure they are prepared,” Ferrer said. “When we use our outdoor recreation opportunities, a park, trail or beach, please help by doing your part to comply with infection control protocols and physical distancing.
“It’s always required,” she added, “to wear a cloth face covering when you think you will be in contact with other people.”
As the sun rose over Torrance Beach Wednesday morning, workers for the Department of Beaches and Harbors removed the yellow caution tape that cordoned off pathways down to the sand.
Near the Palos Verdes Peninsula, just a handful of surfers braved the choppy waters, still smelling from the recent red tide event. These were not ideal surf conditions — but after weeks of being cut off from the coast, it would work.
At the north end of Torrance Beach, about a dozen kids were in the water, a rarity for a school-day morning. But with campuses closed and learning moved online, there’s more time to surf.
A sea lion pup flopped onto the wet sand at the shoreline below Avenue C. Then, realizing there were people out again, headed back into the surf.
In Manhattan Beach, a handful of surfers bobbed in the water just north of the pier, waiting for sets to roll in, while joggers passed by the sand. It was the same scene in Hermosa Beach.
Surfers found space to spread out at El Porto, in north Manhattan Beach, waiting for the waves to roll in toward shore. The most crowded surf spot on the coast was Malibu, at the famed First Point surf break just north of the pier, where 50 or so surfers waited for waves.
But with people now allowed back on the beaches, county officials are trying to ensure visitors still maintain social distancing and other health guidelines.
The beaches, including city-owned ones, are open for active uses only. Active uses include walking, running, swimming and surfing, with gatherings of any kind still banned. Folks also won’t be able to sunbathe or play volleyball, and umbrellas and coolers aren’t allowed.
And visitors, when not in the water and around other people, will have to wear masks, said Nicole Mooradian, spokesperson for LA County Department of Beaches and Harbors.
The face covering requirement, Mooradian added, includes runners and surfers on land.
Surfers, meanwhile, would do best to leave their face coverings on the shore and put it on after exiting the water. Surfers who do not bring a mask have the option of staying 10 feet from others as they cross and exit the beach, Mooradian said.
Los Angeles County Fire Lifeguard spokesman Pono Barnes said things were “relatively quiet” on day one, likely because it’s the middle of the week and a cool wind hit the area.
Lifeguards spent the day on foot patrol reminding people of the rules, Barnes said.
“For the most part,” he said, “people understand there’s no congregating or laying down.”
Redondo Beach Mayor Bill Brand and Police Chief Keith Kauffman were both eager for the beaches to open. They celebrated with an early-morning surf session.
“It was early and the waves sucked – I’m glad we had it to ourselves,” Brand said with a chuckle. “It felt great. It reminds me of how much I love it and why I live here. The water was warm, it felt like summer.”
Brand said the beach opening for active recreation is important to the beach community.
“It feels like you’re getting a little bit back to normal,” he said.
It wasn’t just Los Angeles area surfers who were stoked.
Huntington Beach surfer Louis Rice said he believes attempting to promote distancing while reducing the number of open spaces makes “absolutely zero sense.”
“I’m ecstatic for several reasons. One, because my surfing brothers up in LA County are able to do what they love once again,” Rice said. “Two, for selfish reasons, because our beaches here in OC were getting ridiculously crowded with everyone from LA coming down to surf.”
Daniel Jenkins, 47, was among a handful of surfers who paddled out near the breakwall in Redondo Beach Wednesday morning. Even though the waves were small, Jenkins said, it felt great to be in the water.
“The idea of not being able to surf your home break is devastating,” said Jenkins, who grew up in Hermosa Beach. “I’m stoked to be back in the water.”
Staff writers David Rosenfeld, Brittany Murray, Nick Green and Hunter Lee contributed to this report.
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