kayaks for rent Belmont Shore CA
Beach Cities / Long Beach

Kayaking, sailing, paddleboarding…oh, it’s too hot for all that!

by carollightwood
private boats and sailboats Naples island
Power boats and sailboats tied up outside the luxurious homes on Naples Island in Long Beach CA

When the weather forecast indicated that it was going to be over 100F this weekend, I escaped to Long Beach where it was supposed to only reach a high of 86F.

children dashing into ocean
Two little boys make a dash for the ocean as the temperature rose to over 100F.

My goal was to take some pictures of all the water sports and activities on Alamitos Bay where the water is usually flat–no waves to speak of. Well, either the weatherman lied or lost his skill at forecasting. In a sudden spike, the temperature in soared to over 100F by 11 a.m. so I took my camera and left.  Happily I’d already taken a lot of shots of all the water-related activities around Naples Island, a man-made island in the middle of the Alamitos Bay.

dragon boat swimmers kayak
A dragon boat–without its removable dragon head– racing team was practicing on Alamitos Bay while three swimmers stroked in the opposite direction. In the distance, a kayaker paddled along.
sailing classes at Leeway sailing center
If kayaking and paddleboards aren’t for you, take sailing classes on Alamitos Bay . Classes are offered by the city of Long Beach at the Leeway Sailing Center on Ocean Blvd.
learning how to paddleboard
If you rent a paddleboard you get instructions on how to maneuver it in the water of Alamitos Bay.
kayaks ready to go on alamitos bay
Kayaks ready for rental at the corner of Ocean Blvd. and BayShore drive in Long Beach.
The Port of Long Beach hired a group of professional sand sculptors to create the Pt. Fermin lighthouse, a mermaid riding a whale, and other sea creatures. It had taken them 2 days to get this far and they weren't done yet.
The Port of Long Beach hired a group of professional sand sculptors to re-create the Pt. Fermin lighthouse, a mermaid riding a whale, and other sea creatures in sand for the Long Beach Sand Sculpture Festival. It had taken them 2 days to get this far and they weren’t done yet.  This is an amateur event. A professional sand sculpture festival is held in San Diego every year.
building a sandcastle Long Beach
A group of young women starting their sandcastle for the amateur sand-castle building event on the beach at Belmont Shore..

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