How safe LA and Orange County beaches are in 2023, as graded by Heal the Bay

For its 2023 beach report card, Heal the Bay evaluated the water quality of Southern California coastal hotspots using grades from A to F. The letters represent the risk of adverse health effects to beachgoers based on water quality at specific locations.

The nonprofit environmental group recommends swimming only in water with A or B grades. A grade of F is bad news for any beach as the group tests the water for fecal matter bacteria. Recent issues with sewage, including spills, storms and even possible leaks, have not helped with this year’s scores, according to the group. Even something seemingly as innocuous, such as high levels of seabirds in certain areas, can negatively impact scores.

The organization displays the information in an interactive map. For a text version of the data, see the list of Los Angeles County beaches, or the list of Orange County beaches. Each beach is graded three ways: during dry summer months, which Heal the Bay defines as April through October; during dry winter months, from November through March; and during wet weather, all year round.

Los Angeles County beaches

The list for Los Angeles County ranges as far north as Malibu Pier, down to the popular Santa Monica and Venice beaches, through the South Bay beaches of Manhattan, Hermosa, and Redondo. Locations from the southern part of the county include Cabrillo Beach and multiple spots in Long Beach.

For related news, see: Wet winter fouled the water for Southern California beaches

Orange County beaches

Along the Orange County coast, Heal the Bay includes clusters of locations from many popular shoreline communities, including Seal Beach, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, Dana Point, and San Clemente.