Long Beach - 2nd St and Bayshore Ave. .33 mile out and back, bouys, no surf. don't drink the water.

Corona Del Mar (CDM). Ocean. Swim buoys, lot's of triathletes so even if you go solo, you rarely swim alone. 70% of time water is flat, 20% moderate, 10% chop. Water doesn't taste too bad.

Ditto on both already mentioned -- CDM is my favorite of those two.

Also, I have good health insurance so I do swim in Back Bay fairly often in Newport Beach. It's super safe and there are generally swimmers there on the weekends.

If you can survive Back Bay, you can survive Tempe Town Lake.

I live in Huntington Beach, the places mentioned are all good. LB is safe with a buoy line. Newport Beach Back Bay is safe too, I've never swam in it but I see triathletes swimming there. Corona del Mar (CDM) is in the ocean but it's a protected beach so "generally" not too rough. I swim at CDM, love it. CDM has a buoy line too that's around a half if you loop them.

For my first few years in triathlon I would swim at HB, I'd enter the water at the state beach Lifeguard headquarters and swim to the pier, 2.5mi. Unless you're an excellent swimmer and understand ocean swimming I don't recommend doing this.

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Train safe & smart
Bob

Is this a comment about the Back Bay water quality? I swim there occasionally but now I'm wondering if there's something I don't know.

I've never swam there as Alamitos Bay in Long Beach is down the street from me, but Heal the Bay shows a good report in the Back Bay as of now.

I'm not an expert and I do swim back bay often, I just meant that if you swim back bay at low tide there are at least two large cement drains that become visible... I've no idea what does or doesn't come through those drains and into the back bay, but I am doubting its aquafina.

Thanks for the link to Heal the Bay, after some clicking around I feel a lot more confident about my almost weekly excursions into the Back Bay. It has super easy parking and proximity to great cycling which makes it a great home base for a long training day.

Thanks all for your input. I have done some swims and a Tri
At the back Bay, I think I'm gonna try out CDM. I'm assuming
It's little CDM beach. I want something with a little chop, not
Completely smooth swimming.

Thanks again. Any more information would be greatly appreciated.

Keith

Corona Del Mar Main Beach
Address and map:

http://www.visitnewportbeach.com/...del-mar-state-beach/
Parking info:
https://www.newportbeachca.gov/index.aspx?page=468
Orange County in general, and especially Newport Beach, I've noticed, are strict about enforcement of, well, everything (parking, dogs, drinking, etc)
Someone else may want to chime in here, but my advice is to pay for the parking in the lot.
CDM is really a nice place to swim. I recall there is a group who swims there Wednesdays at 6 pm or thereabouts.


Seal Beach, on the north side of the pier, used to be a pretty nice place to go for a swim also.
Have fun!
KS

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Karen ST Concierge

I swim with an OW group out of two spots in Laguna Beach - Oak Street and Shaw's Cove. This group is a little iffy having triathletes on board. Much like how cycling groups "love" us on their group rides. They're especially down on wetsuits, even when the water is below 60 (yep, been as low as 57 and I've done 2 miles in that without a wetsuit.) Quite a few have swam the Catalina Channel. Actually, they'll be totally friendly to you... to your face :) I get by because I can swim faster than all of them. If you can put up with their silliness, the area is gorgeous both above and below water. Two weekends ago, I swam with three whales - got within 3 feet of one. Exhilarating!

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Proud member of FISHTWITCH: doing a bit more than fish exercise now.

Orange County in general, and especially Newport Beach, I've noticed, are strict about enforcement of, well, everything (parking, dogs, drinking, etc)
Someone else may want to chime in here, but my advice is to pay for the parking in the lot.
CDM is really a nice place to swim. I recall there is a group who swims there Wednesdays at 6 pm or thereabouts.
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I just park on the street above and walk down. The only thing is on the side streets read the signs for streets sweeping. They don't routinely sweep the main road along the bluff.

BTW There is one more nice spot to swim 2mi south of CDM. Cystal Cove State Beach, extreme south end. You can also do a trail run post swim.

http://www.crystalcovestatepark.org/

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Train safe & smart
Bob