SoCal Residents, Tourists Hit The Beach To Beat The Heat

HUNTINGTON BEACH (CBSLA) -- There's one thing better than the beach on a hot day, and that's a warm ocean.

"The temperature is so warm, it's about the best day of the year for surfing without a wetsuit," said Sam August, who was surfing on Huntington Beach on Wednesday.

By afternoon, Huntington Beach was still about 20 degrees cooler than some inland spots.

"This is a heat wave? Not where I come from," said tourist Hana Farshad, who escaped the heat in Dallas, Texas, and flew to Southern California Wednesday morning. "That's what I love Cali for: the great weather, the beaches..."

There was a slight breeze in Aliso Viejo, but it didn't provide much relief from the scorching temperatures. At Grand Park, it was too hot to sit at the picnic tables or play on the equipment in the blazing sun.

Instead, people enjoyed lunch under the shade of umbrellas. Not everyone complained about the weather.

"The heat is perfect," said Loren Mitchell. "I love SoCal weather, especially near the coast. Compared to Australian summers, this is paradise."

Back on the sand, Jacky Possie was perfectly honest about why she left Chino and headed to the beach on one of the hottest days of the year.

"We live on a farm...a ranch with horses," she said. "With the heat, the smell is even worse, and the flies...We can only have the AC for so long."