La Jolla Cove

La Jolla Cove is a small, north-facing cove below Scripps Park and the home water of the La Jolla Cove Swim Club, whose members swim here every day of the year. Summer brings the smallest surf and water near 70°F; winter can drop to about 50°F. Read the lifeguard chalkboard before you go, and when the surf is up, watch for Takeoff rock and the inlet to the right called the Hole.

Directions

Photo: Stephen Bay · CC BY 4.0

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Latest reading · SwimScore 77/100 (Good swim) for a typical swimmer: air 23°C, wind 14 km/h, waves 1.0 m, UV 8. Updated 23 Sept, 22:00 UTC.

Know before you go

Best conditions: Summer, when surf in the north-facing cove is small and visibility can exceed 30 feet. The club treats surf over 3 to 4 feet as potentially dangerous; when the Cove is rough, La Jolla Shores is the fallback.
Getting in: Steps lead from Scripps Park down to a gallery by the lifeguard station, then two steep concrete stairways reach the small beach; you may need to step over rocks. The cove is in the San Diego-La Jolla Underwater Park, so surfboards, boogie boards and inflatables are not allowed and kayaks may not enter.
Parking & transport: Free parking is extremely limited and all on-street; there are paid garages nearby.
Lifeguards: One of nine permanent San Diego lifeguard stations. The swim club says guards are on duty year-round, generally 8 AM to 5 PM, with hours varying by season.
Water quality: San Diego County DEH Beach and Bay Water Quality Monitoring Program tests for fecal indicator bacteria (same-day ddPCR method since 2022) and posts advisories and closures. Sea lion and bird waste at the cove has caused unsafe swimming conditions at times.
Season: Year-round; water ranges from about 50°F in winter to around 70°F in summer.
Who swims here: La Jolla Cove Swim Club (Polar Bear Swim on New Year's Day, 1.5-mile Pier to Cove Swim in late June, 10 Mile Relay in late September, Big Chill winter mileage program). Groups go out daily; around 9 AM is the easiest time to find company. Swimmers use the 1/4- and 1/2-mile buoys, and some swim to Scripps Pier and back (about 3 miles). The annual La Jolla Cove Rough Water Swim is held in September.
Watch for: Submerged rocks, especially at very low tide (Takeoff rock and its neighbor)
Big surf pushes swimmers toward the rocks and into the Hole
Cold water in winter (about 50°F); hypothermia risk
Sea lions on the beach and rocks can lunge or bite if approached
Occasional black sea nettle jellyfish in summer
Facilities: Permanent lifeguard station with a conditions chalkboard · Outdoor showers · Large public restrooms with an indoor shower and changing area