The five types of littoral cells along the California coast are each characterized by a different littoral process determined by the geographic features unique to the cell type.Guests who haven't visited the 450 California beaches often ask what the water looks like and how is the sand. Is it anything like the clear blue water at the Bahamas where East Coast residents enjoy smooth sand beaches, lawn chairs and cocktails served? California beaches are not usually like that and we've yet to find one to fit that description. The beaches range in sand quality from coarse to fine sand, rocks to pebbles. The coastal waters near the beach in the Pacific Ocean seldom tops 75 degrees on the warmest summer day in Southern California. The color is not usually clear though in some locations you can see a few feet in depth. The color of the water ranges from aquamarine to a deep green and occasionally brownish-red during red tide. Most beaches do not allow alcoholic beverages; the beaches are mostly public and usually require guests to bring their own beach chairs and gear. In case you wonder why the beaches are so popular, they offer rugged, natural scenic beauty. With well over 15 million people living near the state's beaches, the climate is a major factor in attracting so may people to this location. The Pacific Ocean's affect keeps the air temperatures enjoyable throughout the year. Many people do not own air conditioning in their homes along the coast. Also, the ocean waves can provide a great surfing experience, something that's contributed to California's multi-billion dollar surfing industry. Heal the Bay's Beach Summer Report Card was released with some real winners in water quality improvements and a few losers.

One type of cell is defined by a long stretch of coastline that begins at a headland and terminates in a submarine canyon, such as at Mugu Canyon in Ventura County and La Jolla Canyon in San Diego County; another cell type consists of a large river delta bounded on either side by rocky headlands, such as at Humboldt Bay; a third type of littoral cell is defined by a crescent-shaped by downcoast of a promontory, like Half Moon Bay in San Mateo County; and a fourth type of cell consists of a rocky headland downcoast of a beach where waves break in a line parallel to the shore, as at Ten Mile Beach in Mendocino County. Finally, lagoons and closed bays with restricted tidal flow create a fifth type of littoral cell, such as Bolinas Bay in Marin.

Characteristic differences between Northern and Southern California beaches depend upon the directions of prevailing wind and upon local coastal geology. Along California's north coast, cove or pocket beaches are common where the granitic and basaltic rock that composes the sea cliffs has been sculpted by prevailing northwesterly winds and battered by high energy waves over millions of years. In Southern California, beaches often consist of long ribbons of sand interrupted by widely separated rocky points. The bluffs of easily eroded shales and sandstones that edge the coast here continuously crumble away, creating on even coastline over time.

Some beach types are found along both Northern and Southern California coasts. Narrow cove beaches like those at Laguna Beach in Orange County form where the coast is composed of conglomerate rock and hard sandstone; even when exposed to direct wave attack this rock type is highly resistant to erosion. The narrow beaches formed within there coves often lose all their sand during winter storms, exposing the underlying cobbles, as at Boomer Beach, south of Point La Jolla in San Diego County. Barrier beaches and sand spits are also present along the coast at river mouths, bays, and lagoons; examples are Silver Strand Beach in San Diego, Zuma Beach in Malibu, and beaches at the Smith, Salinas, Pajaro, and Santa Maria River mouths.

Beaches vary in color according to the mineral content of the sand, which is also a clue to the origin to the eroded sediments that make up the sand supply. Eroded shale cliffs create the charcoal gray beach sand at Shelter Cove in Humboldt County. North of Humboldt Bay, the coarse sands of Agate Beach are multicolored agates that have been ground and polished by the surf. Ground quartz and feldspar mineral make up the white beaches of Carmel, while a few miles to the north in Sand City, amber colored sand indicates the presence of iron mineral. Close inspection reveals that white sand beaches are mosaic of pale quartz grains, pink, green or white feldspar and flecks of black mica.Beaches are inhabited by a variety of invertebrates and insects. More

Link:

California Beach List - Beaches List with Photos of ...