{"id":18363,"date":"2026-06-27T14:31:36","date_gmt":"2026-06-27T14:31:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=18363"},"modified":"2026-06-27T14:31:36","modified_gmt":"2026-06-27T14:31:36","slug":"beach-crowds-big-surf-call-for-increased-safety-measures-at-beaches-ahead-of-july-4-weekend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=18363","title":{"rendered":"Beach crowds, big surf call for increased safety measures at beaches ahead of July 4 weekend"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

With some good-sized waves close to 4 feet expected this week and over the Fourth of July weekend, Laguna Beach lifeguards will have their work cut out for them as they watch over hundreds of thousands of beachgoers expected to descend upon the small seaside town and its 7 miles of beaches.<\/p>\n

Read more It\u2019s summertime, OC beaches are going to get popular. Here are some tips to stay safe<\/a><\/p>\n

But a new city ban on canopies and easy-ups at almost all of its beaches should make their jobs easier, officials said.<\/p>\n

By keeping the large structures off the sand, Laguna Beach Marine Safety Chief Kai Bond said his lifeguards have improved visibility across the sand and into the water. Firefighters and police should also have better access in emergency situations.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was very important for our lifeguards to be able to see people who are in the water near shore,\u201d he said. \u201cSome of those larger canopies are obstructive, and it\u2019s very difficult a lot of times to see.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bond said his lifeguards would often have to ask people to move to open up the view of the beach and water. In general, he said, people would comply, but the new law makes it much easier to enforce the request.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur beaches are so much different than our neighboring cities and more narrow,\u201d he said. \u201cA lot of the larger canopies take up a lot of space and it\u2019s hard to see around, and when we had emergencies, it was very hard for our staff to get to incidents. Having fewer or none on the beach has been an improvement.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bond said most people have understood why they can\u2019t have their larger structures up \u2013 those found in violation can face as much as a $500 fine \u2013 and the number of people still coming with structures is dwindling over time. The city\u2019s Park Rangers approach anyone still putting up a larger cover to educate them on the need to put it away.<\/p>\n

Beach umbrellas are allowed.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

Bond credits the positive response to the city\u2019s proactive efforts to get word out on social media and with other public messaging, in addition to signs posted throughout the town.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople are coming prepared,\u201d he said, but added that canopies and easy-up structures are allowed in some zones at Main Beach and Aliso Beach and can still be used in all of the city\u2019s parks.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you don\u2019t come to the beach with your umbrella, there are options for you,\u201d he said, adding that Main and Aliso beaches are the two most frequented areas for tourists. \u201cThe zones are out of the sightlines of the lifeguards. I felt it was important for at least a while to give people options if they came to the beach and didn\u2019t know what the specific regulations were.\u201d<\/p>\n

The new rule in Laguna Beach may be the most visible change, but lifeguards and police departments at other agencies along the Orange County coast are also stepping up their efforts to make beach visitors more aware of existing rules, or in some cases, such as Newport Beach, have stepped up fines attached to existing regulations to drive home the point. That city will have a mobile booking station this summer to help officers making arrests.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

Huntington Beach is also \u201call hands on deck\u201d for the Fourth of July and will have mounted horse patrols along the sand, and help from the SWAT team at the ready, so foot and ATV officers are freed up for more beach and downtown enforcement, said police Lt. Shawn White.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost holiday weekends, we\u2019re trying to help people control drinking and the behaviors related to that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The stiffened regulations are measures marine safety officials, law enforcement and city officials say are meant to make the beachgoing experience as safe and fun as possible while also helping those tasked with providing public safety do their jobs more effectively.<\/p>\n

After arresting more than 500 people over the July 4 holiday a year ago, Newport Beach officials have had a year to plan and gear up.<\/p>\n

\u201cKnowing that the Fourth of July is on a Saturday, our police and fire departments, along with lifeguards, public works, and executive management, have been working throughout the year to prepare,\u201d said Councilmember Erik Weigand, pointing to the mayor\u2019s \u201cNot in Newport\u201d campaign.<\/p>\n

Read more A few lessons for dads from the U.S. Open<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cVisitors and short-term rental operators have been warned that fines will be doubled throughout parts of town,\u201d he said. \u201cWith the help from several outside agencies, including the Orange County Sheriff\u2019s Department, egregious behavior will not be tolerated. I\u2019m confident our city will rise to the challenge and ensure residents, businesses and visitors alike will have a fun, but safe experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Newport Beach braced for an onslaught of Spring Break revelers, the council increased enforcement and fines in some of the most visitor-attracting areas such as the Balboa Peninsula, West Newport and Corona Del Mar.<\/p>\n

The city already had designated enhanced safety zones where fines had increased, and this spring the council agreed to expand the number of days around the Fourth of July and extend the safety zone covering West Newport and the peninsula to B Street, instead of 32nd Street, while adding Corona Del Mar. The increased enforcement was in place for Memorial Day.<\/p>\n

The new restrictions and stiffened fines are already proving helpful, said Lifeguard Chief Brian O\u2019Rourke.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt looks really good this year,\u201d he said, reflecting on beach behavior so far. Last year, for example, during the Fourth of July, he said there was a big problem with large, rowdy gangs gathering around 32nd Street.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt seems to be almost self-policing,\u201d he said. \u201cOfficers are on the beach and are making sure things are staying in order.\u201d<\/p>\n

While roomier than Laguna Beach, Newport Beach has limited the size of permitted large shade structures on the sand this year. The coverings cannot exceed 6 feet in height and width, and are not allowed to be clustered together. They also can\u2019t stand in the way of public access routes, emergency roads, or lifeguard towers. They must be placed at least 50 feet from a tower and separated by at least 5 feet.<\/p>\n

O\u2019Rourke said the smaller shades also improve lifeguard visibility and prevent large groups from gathering under them.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt gives enforcement opportunity to break those up,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Lifeguards in San Clemente get help from the city\u2019s Park Rangers, who two years ago took over from a team of private security guards, the Sheriff\u2019s Department and the Coastal Animal Services Authority, Mayor Rick Loeffler said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we had the private security, they had no enforcement ability; these guys can write citations,\u201d he said. \u201cOnce the sheriffs get busy during the day, they\u2019re nowhere around, but these guys are out there, and they\u2019re real visible. The bang for the buck is great.\u201d<\/p>\n

That model has also worked well in Laguna Beach. Park Rangers were brought into the Laguna Beach Police Department by Chief Jeff Calvert\u00a0to address the growing quality-of-life issues across the town\u2019s neighborhoods, especially those near the beaches.<\/p>\n

Calvert said the program is a step up from the city\u2019s former Beach Patrol, which was run with civilians. The rangers have the authority to cite and arrest people and carry the same equipment as police officers, except a firearm.<\/p>\n

In addition, Laguna Beach this year also added a private security team to help out in some of the town\u2019s most popular spots. At Thousand Steps Beach in South Laguna, they are catching people at the top before they have to lug a prohibited item back up the stairs.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re like docents in that they\u2019re providing information,\u201d said Lt. Jason Farris, who oversees the ranger program. \u201cIt also lets (people) know we are actively enforcing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more World Cup: Senegal routs 10-man Iraq to boost odds of advancing<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Canopies and easy-ups are banned in Laguna Beach, Newport Beach has new restrictions too.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":18362,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43,2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18363","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-based-on-facts-either-observed-and-verified-directly-by-the-reporter-or-reported-and-verified-from-knowledgeable-sources","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nBeach crowds, big surf call for increased safety measures at beaches ahead of July 4 weekend - Silicon Valley Moving Post<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=18363\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Beach crowds, big surf call for increased safety measures at beaches ahead of July 4 weekend - Silicon Valley Moving Post\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Canopies and easy-ups are banned in Laguna Beach, Newport Beach has new restrictions too.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=18363\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Silicon Valley Moving Post\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-06-27T14:31:36+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/?p=18363#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/?p=18363\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/636e2e5a10a21cf87fe6eb5951e8a6b7\"},\"headline\":\"Beach crowds, big surf call for increased safety measures at beaches ahead of July 4 weekend\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-27T14:31:36+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/?p=18363\"},\"wordCount\":1349,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/?p=18363#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/6326c65f856badec05e26fe1f5f7ee62.webp\",\"articleSection\":[\"Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.\",\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/?p=18363#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/?p=18363\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/?p=18363\",\"name\":\"Beach crowds, big surf call for increased safety measures at beaches ahead of July 4 weekend - Silicon Valley Moving Post\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/?p=18363#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/?p=18363#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/6326c65f856badec05e26fe1f5f7ee62.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-27T14:31:36+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/636e2e5a10a21cf87fe6eb5951e8a6b7\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/?p=18363#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/?p=18363\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/?p=18363#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/6326c65f856badec05e26fe1f5f7ee62.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/6326c65f856badec05e26fe1f5f7ee62.webp\",\"width\":1024,\"height\":576},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/?p=18363#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Beach crowds, big surf call for increased safety measures at beaches ahead of July 4 weekend\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"Silicon Valley Moving Post\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/636e2e5a10a21cf87fe6eb5951e8a6b7\",\"name\":\"admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"admin\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/?author=1\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Beach crowds, big surf call for increased safety measures at beaches ahead of July 4 weekend - Silicon Valley Moving Post","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=18363","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Beach crowds, big surf call for increased safety measures at beaches ahead of July 4 weekend - Silicon Valley Moving Post","og_description":"Canopies and easy-ups are banned in Laguna Beach, Newport Beach has new restrictions too.","og_url":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=18363","og_site_name":"Silicon Valley Moving Post","article_published_time":"2026-06-27T14:31:36+00:00","author":"admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=18363#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=18363"},"author":{"name":"admin","@id":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/#\/schema\/person\/636e2e5a10a21cf87fe6eb5951e8a6b7"},"headline":"Beach crowds, big surf call for increased safety measures at beaches ahead of July 4 weekend","datePublished":"2026-06-27T14:31:36+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=18363"},"wordCount":1349,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=18363#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/6326c65f856badec05e26fe1f5f7ee62.webp","articleSection":["Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.","News"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=18363#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=18363","url":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=18363","name":"Beach crowds, big surf call for increased safety measures at beaches ahead of July 4 weekend - Silicon Valley Moving Post","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=18363#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=18363#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/6326c65f856badec05e26fe1f5f7ee62.webp","datePublished":"2026-06-27T14:31:36+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/#\/schema\/person\/636e2e5a10a21cf87fe6eb5951e8a6b7"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=18363#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=18363"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=18363#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/6326c65f856badec05e26fe1f5f7ee62.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/6326c65f856badec05e26fe1f5f7ee62.webp","width":1024,"height":576},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=18363#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Beach crowds, big surf call for increased safety measures at beaches ahead of July 4 weekend"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/","name":"Silicon Valley Moving Post","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/#\/schema\/person\/636e2e5a10a21cf87fe6eb5951e8a6b7","name":"admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"admin"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com"],"url":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?author=1"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18363","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=18363"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18363\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/18362"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=18363"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=18363"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=18363"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}