I just scoured google maps south of LA to see if I could find that rock... nothing, and looking at the map of bakersfield in relation to LA, the camp could have very well been to the north of LA. I do remember a lot of cliffs and sand dunes that you can jump off of and fall for a moment before being swept up in the roll.

My in laws just went to SD on their way up to Disney Land. Now everyone in the family is planning on going out there sometime in the near future. I'm hoping to get a two day trip out to the los padres national forest around the lebec area... but it's a hard sell to those who didn't grow up in those mountains.

My cousin said it was cold as heck out at san diego, I thought maybe he was just weak. But you said the water was really cold? Brrr