101 Things to Do at San Diego Beaches

San Diego is famous for Comic Con, Balboa Park, Sea World, and the San Diego Zoo. But those of us who live here know that the best thing about San Diego are the wonderful beaches. In the spirit of full disclosure, there more than 101 things to do at San Diego beaches in California. But we’ve picked a few that we enjoy and we will share them with you.

Bodyboard in the ocean.

1. Bodyboarding is easy. You just jump in front of a wave and hold the board in front of you.

Bounce your bike on a rock.

2. With the right bike and just a few hundred hours of practice, you can be bouncing on a big rock.

Bounce your unicycle up the stairs.

3. Grab a unicycle and you can go wherever you want!

Build a sand castle.

4. Find a spot on the beach and start building. Be aware of the high-tide line, or face a catastrophic flooding!

Build an umbrella fort.

5. Get as many big umbrellas as you can and build an umbrella fort on the beach.

Bury your friend.

6. Some friends just seem to be more bury-able than others. Do take a moment bury them, if you have the time.

Bury your children.

7. Keep your children under control by putting most of their body in the sand. Be extra, extra sure they are well above the high-tide line!!

Bury all the boys.

8. Bury all your boy friends up to their necks. Unlike most of these unlucky fellows, a hat and sunglasses are advised.

Celebrate your bachelorette party.

9. Nothing say “fun” like a bachelorette party in a beach house in San Diego.

Converse with a Holy Man.

10. Find out what a Holy Man thinks about things.

Cover yourself with kelp.

11. Stay warm by covering yourself in kelp.

Cut up a fish.

12. Cut up a really big fish, right on the dock where you caught it. Yum!

Dance with your friend on the boardwalk.

13. Dancing on the boardwalk is free, and greatly encouraged. Put on some tunes and boogie down!

Drive a little yellow boat.

14. Renting little yellow boats must be fun, right?

Eat dinner around a fire pit.

15. Hotel del Coronado has a number of fire pits where you can enjoy dinner and watch the ocean on a cool evening.

Enjoy solitude.

16. Take a walk on the beach at sunset, and enjoy the moment.

Feed the birds.

17. Feed the birds. Do be aware that what goes in does come down, so you might have a few dropping to wipe off. 😳

Fish with your boyfriend.

18. Go fishing with your boyfriend. You can get a boat from Seaforth Boat Rentals, which has a number of convenient locations.

Fish with your dog.

19. Fish with your dog at Crystal Pier, where you can rent your gear and you don’t need a license.

Fish in the surf

20. Fish in the surf to get away from it all and see what you can catch.

Float in a swan.

21. Float in the bay in a swan floatie.

Float safely on the sand.

22. Float on the sand and just relax. 😎

Fly a hang glider.

23. Fly a hang glider at the Torrey Pines Gliderport.

Fly a kite.

24. Fly any number or style of kites.

Fly a paraglider.

25. Fly a paraglider, also at the Torrey Pines Gliderport. Note that birds have right of way. 😉

Get all dressed up.

26. Get all dressed up, put on your skates, and go see the sights!

Get all your girlfriends to the beach with you.

27. Get all your girlfriends and spend the day at the beach.

Give your child a ride on a cooler.

28. If your child gets tuckered out, give him a ride on your cooler.

Practice gymnastic exercises.

29. Gymnastic exercises on the beach ensure that, if you fall, the landing will be soft. Give it a try!

Hug your friend.

30. The boardwalk is the perfect place to hug your friend. 🙂

Hula hoop wearing a skirt.

31. Put on your best tight skirt and find a grassy place to hula hoop.

Hula Hoop wearing a swimsuit.

32. Take your hula hoop to the beach and do the hula on the sand.

Ignore the signs.

33. Ignore the signs. Okay, don’t ignore the signs. The signs are there for a reason.

Jetski!

34. Rent a jet ski at one of San Diego’s many jet ski rental shops. You won’t stop smiling.

Keep a bird cool.

35. When your bird gets overheated after a few hours of taking in the San Diego summer, a spritz with cool water is just the ticket.

Massage your boyfriend.

36. Take a moment to give your boyfriend an ashiatsu massage.

Paddle a long boat.

37. Get ALL your friends together and paddle a long boat.

Paddleboard by yourself.

38. Grab a paddleboard and head out to the open ocean for some well-deserved solitude.

Paddleboard near dolphins.

39. Paddleboard near dolphins. Okay, you can’t, because they are way too fast. But if you are lucky enough to have them swim next to you, enjoy the precious moment.

Paddleboard with your dog.

40. Dogs love water and, as you can see, love paddleboarding, too. Take your dog on a fun trip around the bay.

Paddleboard in your suit.

41. Of course, if you don’t have a wetsuit, a formal suit is just fine for paddleboarding.

Photobomb your friends.

42. Photobomb your friends because, why not? Let the beach bring out your true personality.

Photobomb a wedding.

43. Photobomb a wedding. Or not. 😈

Play a board game.

44. Bring a table, chairs, and board game, and enjoy the beach in your own fashion.

Play football with a giant football.

45. There is no better sport than giant football. Trust me. 😎

Play in the ocean.

46. When everything else fails, just run in the water and play. You’ll be happier for it.

Play paddleball.

47. Get a paddle and a ball, and smack it around with your friends.

Play volleyball on a team.

48. There are many ad hoc beach volleyball teams in San Diego. If you have a more competitive edge, they’d love to have you join in.

Play volleyball by yourself.

49. Beach volleyball is a great way to enjoy San Diego’s beaches, even if you play by yourself.

Play wiffle ball.

50. Get your mates together and play a manly game of wiffle ball.

Take a selfie with your friends.

51. Capture the moment with a selfie of your and your friends.

Pose for a photograph that’s not a selfie.

52. Ask someone else to take your photograph. Your friends will be amazed that your arm or a stick is not extending towards the camera!

Pose with a pineapple on your head.

53. Put a pineapple on your head and get your photograph taken. You’ll thank yourself later.

Pose with your surfboard.

54. Pose with your surfboard, especially if your board matches your trunks.

Practice cheerleading.

55. Gather your friends, suit up, and let’s hear it for {your favorite team}!

Push up exercises.

56. Do some push-ups. But don’t forget to keep your back straight!

Read a book.

57. Read a book. You will impress your friends with how retro you are. 😯

Relax with your poodle.

58. Relax at the beach with your poodle. And if your girlfriend has the same hair hair, so much better!

Ride a bike with a really big ghetto-blaster.

59. Pimp out your bike and ride it on the boardwalk. You, too, can be a cool dude.

Sail on a schooner.

60. During San Diego’s Festival of Sail, you can sail on a schooner and enjoy the salty life of a seaman.

Sail with friends.

61. There are quite a few boat rental companies in San Diego. Grab your friends and go sailing!

Race on a sailboat.

62. If you have more than a few days to spare, go to Harbor Sailboats and enquire about sailboat racing!

Relax on the sea wall.

63. Stretch out on the sea wall and enjoy the summer day.

Walk on the sea wall.

64. Sea walls don’t just protect from high tide and winter storms. You can take a stroll on them, if you are so inclined.

Search for buried treasure.

65. Get in touch with your inner explorer and hunt for buried treasure in the sand.

Show off your tattoo.

66. The beach is the perfect place to show off your tattoo. Join the crowd; you’ll fit right in.

Skate an obstacle course.

67. Set out some little green cones and practice your skating skills.

Skate and dance.

68. Roller skates and dancing go together. Put on your headphones and feel the music. 😎

Skate with your bridal party in a bikini.

69. Put on your best bridal bikini and veil, gather your bridesmaids, and go for a pre-wedding skate.

Skate in slow motion.

70. Skate in slow motion. Warning: you won’t skate slower than SloMo, so don’t even try. 😆

Ice Skate in Winter at Hotel del Coronado.

71. If you are staying at Hotel del Coronado in winter, you can ice skate on their rink. Brrrrrrr.

Sleep on your surfboard in the water.

72. Take a nap on your surfboard in the water. The waves will rock you gently to sleep.

Sleep on your surfboard on the sand.

73. Take a nap on your surfboard on the sand. You won’t have to worry about floating off to parts unknown.

Take a nap in your street clothes.

74. If you don’t have a surf board, don’t despair. Just lay down on the sand and cut some z’s.

Snorkel with sea lions.

75. Sea lions are in abundance at La Jolla Cove. Mind your own business, and it’s likely one will swim near you. Warning: do not approach, tease, or attempt to touch a sea lion. They are wild animals with sharp teeth.

Stand too close to a sea lion.

76. DO NOT stand too close to a sea lion. The Marine Mammal Protection Act states that you must stay at least 50 yards (1/2 a football field) from seals and sea lions. It’s a good law.

Stand on your head.

77. Stand on your head in the middle of your group of friends. Or by yourself. Either way, it’s good fun.

Stay warm at a beach bonfire.

78. Find a bonfire pit on the beach, throw in some wood, and enjoy the cool San Diego evenings.

Learn to surf with your friends.

79. There are many organizations offering surf lessons. Spend a few hours learning, then dive in!

The waves are….there!

80. If you prefer one-on-one training, there are surfing instructions who will gladly teach you the finer points of the sport.

Surf with your friend.

81. Surfing is more fun when you do it with friends. Enjoy a day at the beach together.

Surf in really big waves.

82. In winter, storms rage in the Pacific ocean. A few days later, large waves appear on our beaches. If you are up to it, put on your wetsuit and enjoy the fun.

Surf at the Wavehouse.

83.The Wavehouse at Belmont Park offers the opportunity to practice body surfing, bodyboarding, and surfing. Come and join the activities! (Update: they closed it. I guess people were having too much fun.)

Surf with dolphins.

84. No, you can’t really surf with dolphins. They do what they want, and they are a lot faster than you. But it’s great fun when you get to share the surf with these wonderful creatures.

Surf with sea lions.

85. Sea lions enjoy the surf, too. Be on the lookout for these fascination animals.

Take a cheesecake photo of your friend.

86. Your friend works hard to keep a bikini body. Take a cheesecake photograph of her. It will be a beautiful memory of San Diego.

Take your dog for a walk at dog beach.

87. There are a number of dog beaches in San Diego. Let Man’s Best Friend enjoy the ocean, too.

Take your dog surfing.

88. If your pooch is like you, he probably enjoys a fun day of surfing. Be sure to include him. And, each year, Imperial Beach hosts a Surf Dog Competition Surf Dog Competition for all surFURs that is definitely worth a visit.

Talk to the lifeguard.

89. Say “Hi” to San Diego lifeguards. Let them know how much they are appreciated.

Lay on your boyfriend and read a book over his shoulder.

90. Boyfriends are good for oh-so-many things.

Use your boyfriend to stay dry.

91. Sometimes you want to go in the water but you don’t want to get wet. A boyfriend can be the perfect solution.

Visit Black’s Beach.

92. Black’s Beach is San Diego’s unofficial nude beach. Bring plenty of sun block!

Watch other people exercise.

93. Sometimes it feels good just to let other folks do the exercising.

Watch the shorebirds.

94. San Diego is home to 515 bird species, many of which can be seen near the beach. Take some time, especially early in the morning, to watch them.

Kiteboarding on a windy day.

95. San Diego does not have very many windy days, but when the wind blows, grab your kiteboard and have some fun.

Work on your tan by yourself.

96. Tanning at the beach is one of the cheapest and easiest things to do in San Diego.

Work on your tan in your street clothes.

97. If you don’t have a swimsuit, “Swimsuit Optional” works just fine.

Work on your tan with your friends in a line.

98. Tanning with your friends can be fun, even if you are too far away to talk to each other. I’ll bet most of them are texting each other, wondering what the sun’s like where they are.

Write messages in the sand with an umbrella.

99. Writing messages in the sand might be fun, but it is not the best way to communicate. We learned that from Charles Heston in Planet of the Apes. However, sometimes the transient messages are best. Express yourself.