San Diego & Orange County Beaches
Imperial Beach
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950 Ocean Ln
Imperial Beach
CA 91932
Tele. 619-595-3954 - Beach Weather & Surf report
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E-mail.
A half-hour south of downtown San Diego by car or trolley, and only a few minutes from the Mexican border, lies Imperial Beach. It's popular with surfers and local youth, who can be somewhat territorial about "their" sands in summer. The beach boasts 3 miles of surf breaks plus a guarded "swimmers only" stretch; check with lifeguards before getting wet, though, since sewage runoff from nearby Mexico can sometimes foul the water. I.B. also plays host to the annual U.S. Open Sandcastle Competition in late July -- the best reason to come here -- with world-class sand creations ranging from sea scenes to dragons to dinosaurs.
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