Aug. 30 is National Beach Day, and in San Diego, the sand can become a volleyball court, the Pacific a surf break and Mission Bay a playground.
There’s kayaking and paddleboarding, of course, and for the more adventurous, an electric hydrofoil can turn the water into a runway.
With so many ways to enjoy the coastline, is the paddleboard still king? Perhaps, but there are plenty of challengers — from the beach courts to an electric board that can send riders gliding above the bay.
Whether you want to dig your feet into the sand, chase a wave or soar, here are three ways to make the most of San Diego’s coast.
Surfing: The San Diego original
In elementary school, professional surfer Jojo Roper gave Little League at Tecolote Field a try. But learning how to hit a curveball only has so much appeal when you have San Diego surf legend Joe Roper for a dad.
“I played a season or two but I just wasn’t into it,” Roper recalled. “I just wanted to go surf. I am sure my dad was stoked we were going to the beach on Saturday mornings instead of a baseball field.”
At 3, his father put him on a board for the first time near Crystal Pier. By 5, he had his own. Roper, who grew up in Pacific Beach, estimated he spends more than 300 days a year in the water.
“It never gets old and I hope it stays that way,” he said.
E-foiling: Take flight
Cameron Trickey has raced dolphins on an e-foil. He hasn’t beaten one yet.
An electric motor mounted beneath the board powers a hydrofoil that lifts the rider above the surface, creating the sensation of flying across the water.
But getting airborne isn’t necessarily easy.
“Foiling was difficult to learn, frustrating, and challenging,” Trickey told the San Diego Reader in 2023. “Foilboarding is a whole different balance game.”
Once he figured it out, though, the sport offered a considerably different kind of thrill.
“I’ve had a few races with dolphins,” Trickey said “I can get up to around 30 miles per hour, but dolphins always win.”
For the uninitiated, e-foil lessons are currently offered in San Diego, including on Mission Bay.
Beach volleyball: Just get in the game
Dan Palenchar was terrible at beach volleyball when he first tried it on the sand at Mission Beach.
That didn’t stop him.
“I got hooked from the first day, even though I was really bad,” said Palenchar, founder of Life’s a Beach Volleyball Club. “But it’s so much fun. You’re fully involved, especially when you play at a more competitive level; you’re engaged every single point.”
Palenchar, who grew up playing basketball, was drawn to the sport’s fast pace and intensity. What began with friends inviting him to play eventually led to Life’s a Beach, which he founded in 2018 with Joshua Daguman and Michael Walsh.
The club was built in part around making the sport less intimidating for newcomers.
“We wanted to create a space where people who are new to the game, like I was, could feel comfortable,” Palenchar said. “An environment where you can learn without the pressure of competition, have fun and build a community around the sport.”
And it’s catching on at local colleges too. The University of San Diego is launching a Division I beach volleyball program in spring 2027 and building a four-court facility on campus.
For more on surfing, paddleboarding and other water adventures to enjoy in San Diego on National Beach Day – and most of the year round – see the San Diego Tourism Authority.
