Del Mar Local Customs

Del Mar is an expensive area - no doubt about it. No problem for 1-day or half-a-day visitors (weekend visitors) but if you want to spend longer time there hmm... get your $$$ ready and... enjoy.
If you like safe, nice looking, a little luxury at some places and not very snobbish anyway (I, think) location - it's a place for you.

Expect to meet elegant/older men in convertibles (sometimes with much younger girls with them hehe - hmm, I am surprised - didn't they forbid it yet?).
Expect to meet elegant/older and usually single ladies as well.
Expect to meet thousands just casual people/families of various age in jeans and T-shirts (wow, add baseball hats :-) as well - especially on weekends.

It looks like you can't do too much in Del Mar without being written up for an expensive fine. As you could read in my Warning Or Dangers tips there are numerous things not allowed by local law in Del Mar.
The citizens of Del Mar do it for themselves - no doubts about it but... hmm... do they do it for visitors as well or maybe rather against them?

And just my 3 first questions:
1. am I allowed to breathe deeply between midnight and 6am in weekends in Del Mar?
2. am I allowed to wear socks longer than 10 inches in sunny days in public places?
3. am I allowed to walk with over twice younger women if she is not my daughter in a public place after sunset in Del Mar?
ANY REPLIES very appreciated :-)))

REPLIES:
by LINDA (lmkluque):
1. Only if you are sleeping,
2. Only if you are prepared to be laughed at,
3. Let’s see, you are how old? Well, if you are older than 36 years then the answer is yes. If you are between 15 and 35 the answer is NO!

It seems that they care very much about the grass in their parks. The grass surface of recreational area in Powerhouse Park is amazing: soft and thick, you will not find such a grass even in such prestigous/luxury (hmm...) place like around The Grand Casino in Monte Carlo, Monaco.

No wonder - it's not a grass for sitting/walking on it there hehe. Walking on grass is usually banned in Europe hehe (except especially disignated and marked areas). In the USA - a grass is just for walking/sitting/liying on it! Am I wrong?

From LINDA (lmkluque):
No. You are not wrong. There are some places you will see signs that read, "Stay off the Grass," but that is not the norm for public areas, it is a more usual sight on private property. Parks and public lawns are for us to enjoy, not just to look at.

Look at my picture: what do these 2 flags put on the beach mean?

In my homeland there are generally 4 flags put by lifeguards on a mast:
black - swimming not allowed,
red - swimming allowed but maybe dangerous,
yellow - swimming allowed but be carefull,
white - swimming allowed.

How does it work there?

From LINDA (lmkluque):
Red usually indicates a "Rip Current" or that there are other dangers going into the water.

Yellow with a black circle indicates the area is a swim zone. Only swimming allowed.

Each city’s lifeguards have their own flag system, however, they are all similar and usually can be figured out, to be sure of the meaning of the flag, ask a lifeguard. Also Divers have flags which indicate diving conditions.

I don't know, hmmm... there is much to steal there, I suppose. So...
Never mind, in weekend midday Del Mar looked and was extremely safe, relaxing area. I noticed folks who left all their things (valuables?) in the middle of a beach and went somewhere. Weren't they afraid of beach thefts? Or no valuables left?

From LINDA (lmkluque):
In this picture, there were no "valuables" left. Usually there is very little theft on the beach. The biggest "theft" problems are usually in the parking lot where everyone leaves their "real" valuables, like money and credit cards.

Look at my picture taken in Powerhouse Park. Hehe, what a nice and orderly mess!

It's not Germany or Switzerland where everything is usually - if not numbered - at least put in strict order hehe. It's Del Mar, Southern California, USA.

Sorry my German and Swiss friends, I used to tease all the time - no wonder, I live in an unbelievable paradise for teasing people hehe. Whenever you are in a teasing mood welcome to Poland :-)).

In contrast to many European Mediterranean beaches there are no numerous chairs and umbrellas put on a beach people to pay for them (sometimes quite much hehe).
From LINDA (lmkluque):
Maybe on the East Coast? On the West Coast I have not see this except in movies about the "Old Days." The Hotel Del offered little "cabanas," umbrellas and chairs, as you described, in the early 1900’s, but that is no longer the case. Some hotels offer towels, chairs and umbrellas, but most people just use towels.

Public beach means just public that is for people and free of charge even in generally expensive Del Mar - very well, I think :-))). But what you save on beach you spend on parking lots :-(. Anyway, it's better than to spend on both.

Just one question: are there any fenced, guarded, private beaches with numerous chairs and umbrellas to use (for additional charge sometimes) in the USA?
From LINDA (lmkluque):
Yes, there are fenced, guarded and private beaches, not very many. Usually they are in rather isolated or hard to get places.

They usually lie on beach towels, rarely they take beach chairs and beach umbrellas with them - at least when I was there in April.
From LINDA (lmkluque):
Most of the people you saw at the beach are residents who come down to the beach for a short time, some come everyday. Also, many people ride bikes or walk to the beach and carrying all that stuff is too awkward or too bulky when a simple towel is enough.

Ladies: hmm... is topless forbidden in Del Mar (YES), California (MOSTLY), USA (MOSTLY) or maybe socially unacceptable (MOSTLY)?
I haven't seen any topless woman on the Del Mar beach. Coincidence, law or a culture thing?
From LINDA (lmkluque):
Both, but most importantly it is against the law at all beaches in San Diego.

OK, thinner ladies usually wear a two piece female bathing suit (swimsuit) = bikini whereas less thinner (or thin in dfferent way) ladies often wear more traditional one-piece bathing suit. Why not reverse? Oops... sorry, I am always teasing.

Guys: T-shirt + shorts (as I know shorts in American English are also men's underpants - quite funny mistakes possible, am I wrong? :-); underpants seem to be unacceptable on the beach.

Shoes:
- no shoes (bare feet :-)
- "beach shoes" (thong, flip-flop),
- sandals,
- maybe trainers as well (to take off).