Beaches

The explosive Wedge surf break in Newport Beach has left generations of daredevils with broken bones and concussions. On Friday, with waves topping 20 feet, it killed a man -- a rare death at a place that would seem to invite it. The Orange County coroner's office has identified the man as 50-year-old Monte Kevin Valantin of Lawndale. He was thrown against the rock jetty that produces the Wedge's outsized waves about 12:30 p.m.

Summer Dunsmore, 19, glanced over her shoulder at the 50 or so harbor seals snoozing on a small horseshoe-shaped beach beside the Children's Pool in La Jolla. "Look at them," said the La Jolla High graduate who is now a student at San Diego Mesa College. "They're such peaceful creatures."

Just off downtown Long Beach, where freighters queue up to unload much of the nation's imported goods, a long wall of rock rises from the waves, encrusted with mussels and crawling with crabs. This is the Long Beach breakwater, a 2.2-mile vestige of World War II designed to shield the U.S. Navy's Pacific Fleet from stormy seas and enemy torpedoes.

Under legislation making its way through Congress, beachgoers would find out sooner whether they should steer clear of the water. A measure approved Wednesday on a voice vote by the House would require speedier testing for coastal pollution and fund projects to track down sources of contamination.

The housing market's wipeout means there are deals to be found, even at the beach. ? Grant Niman landed his dream home in Hermosa Beach after a careful six-month search. The 46-year-old certified public accountant is in escrow on a three-story, four-bedroom home within four blocks of the sand. The sale price came in just under $1.4 million. Comparable houses near Niman's pick were selling for as much as $200,000 higher in December. ? "It was an incredibly good deal.

Malibu More than just the preferred address of the rich and famous, Malibu has 21 miles of coastline with some of the finest beaches in Southern California. Leo Carrillo A 1.5-mile-long state beach, Leo Carrillo has tidal pools, reefs and caves along the water's edge and Wi-Fi access around the park visitors' center. Nicholas Canyon A smaller, handicap-accessible county beach, Nicholas Canyon has restrooms, showers, 151 parking spaces and a food truck during the summer. Robert H.

For the fifth year in a row, Los Angeles County is home to the dirtiest beaches in the state, with repeat offenders Avalon on Santa Catalina Island and Santa Monica among those with the highest levels of fecal bacteria in ocean water, according to a Natural Resources Defense Council report to be released today. "The problem's not going away," said Michelle Mehta, an attorney with the nonprofit organization's water program.

Growing up in rural Nebraska, I always felt I was robbed of some quality time exploring the beauty of the beach. For the last five months I was assigned to do just that -- cruise the coast and explore select Southern California beaches from Santa Barbara to San Diego. The results are 11 photo galleries found at latimes.com/beach. More photos on Page B5

George and Sharlee McNamee never realized how complicated a barbecue could be. The retired couple's bluff-top home overlooks a stunning stretch of Corona del Mar State Beach, studded with the jagged rocks of nearby Inspiration Point. It's been their slice of paradise, and they looked forward to whiling away their golden years. Instead, the McNamees have filled the better part of a decade battling the state Coastal Commission over their backyard.

Broad Beach has long been a scenic backdrop to Malibu's public access wars. The tranquil rhythm of surf has been routinely shattered by security guards and sheriff's deputies bouncing beachgoers who spread towels on the confusing mosaic of public and private sand. Today, Broad Beach has shrunk into a narrow sliver of its former self. And like other skinny Malibu icons, its slenderness qualified the beach for a different kind of trend-setting role: How California will deal with rising sea levels.