G’day!
Background
I was born in Santa Monica/ college in San Diego but have lived in Bondi Beach, Australia for the last several years (citizen). I’ve gotten a bit spoiled by the Aussie water temps (65-77 degrees), pristine water quality (most days), good snorkelling and decent surf. My fianceè (soon to be wife) are planning to move to the South Bay in 2028/2029. We spend most days in the water, and as silly as it sounds, a proper beach is one of our key considerations.
I’m a 33 year old finance leader and my fianceè is a 26 year old practice manger in the healthcare industry. We both enjoy outdoor activity and the occasional meal/drink out. The more influencers we can avoid the better lol sorry LA! When I grew up, influencing didn’t exist.
We have -$175k in liquid assets (mostly stocks) and would likely be on a combined income of $225k before considering inflation. We would look to buy a house if the shoe fits but are OK with renting. By the time we move, we plan to have a one/two year old.
Question
Which beach(es) would you recommend for best overall blend of water quality, swimming, snorkeling and surfability (def not a word lol). Good snorkeling would be nice too but that’s lower on the priority list. San Diego would be ideal BUT my family is in West LA hence we want to be closer to them. Chatgpt has given us some answers but we’re keen to hear the community’s thoughts.
Other considerations
We will do a bit more research on schools, best environment for a little one and make a separate post in due course. However, feel free to include any input :) We appreciate our ocean time will drop significantly after a child!
My finaceè is also vegan - perhaps a consideration.
Bonus tips
Feel free to provide any additional tips/considerations (parking, traffic etc)! We’ve read the recent post on Hermosa v Manhattan which was helpful but didn’t specially cover a few of our questions above.