SAN DIEGO (CNS) - San Diego beaches and water parks were packed Sunday, day two of an Independence Day weekend that saw a 30-degree temperature difference between beaches and some inland areas.
Mid-afternoon temperatures of 69 at Lindberg Field and 65 at Imperial Beach contrasted with readings in the 80s in Escondido and El Cajon.
Beaches were packed.
La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club Resort Manager Marco Menzhausen said "on our private beach that our patrons enjoy, we expect to have upwards of 1,000 people this weekend. On the public side of the beach, there is kayaking and a boat launch that people love to come out to watch.
"The tides effect how crowded our beaches here are as well: When the tide is high, there is less space per person," Menzhausen said. "Also, everyone will probably want to stay for the firework show, which leads to the mass exodus trying to get out of La Jolla afterward. So, people should be prepared to wait a little bit after the show."
In Del Mar, the beaches were so packed and the concept of finding parking near the ocean was obsolete.
"We had prime conditions yesterday and expect the same today. As of 11 a.m., there is zero parking around here, the beach is already packed." Del Mar lifeguard supervisor Tomas Bryant said.
The ocean water at Mission Beach was a relatively-warm 68 degrees. Waves were coming ashore below 3 feet, according to Surfline.com.
Del Mar lifeguards "had many instances of medical aid that needed to be given, as well as rescues that needed to be performed, yesterday," Bryant said. "We haven't had much of that today yet because our peak time for rescues is noon to 3 p.m., but I expect there will be a lot" Bryant said.
Some people might choose to find refuge from the heat at water parks instead of braving the beach, but Chula Vista's Knott's Soak City San Diego is prepared for summertime rush too. "All of our cabanas are sold out for this weekend, which is always a good sign. We had approximately 3,700 people come to the park yesterday and expect about 4,500 tomorrow," said Knott's Soak City San Diego Marketing Coordinator Jasmine Acosta.
"The weather is around 75 to 80 degrees right now, and it really impacts how many people come," said Knott's Soak City San Diego Marketing Coordinator Jasmine Acosta said.
