Headed to the beach this summer? A new list tells you how to find surf and avoid sickness.

Statewide, Californias overall water quality during summer is excellent, with 96 percent of the 416 monitored beaches monitored getting an A or B grades, according toHealtheBays recently released Beach Report Card.

Santa Cruz County beaches performed well in summer dry weather, with 85 percent of its 13 monitored beaches receiving A or B grades.

San Mateo Countys 21 monitored beaches followed suit, with 90 percent earning A or B marks in the summer.

But EastBaybeach grades took a dip this year, with 75 percent of eight monitored sites receiving an A or B grade in the summer. And three out of four beaches in Contra Costa and Alameda counties received C-to-F grades in the winter, more than double that of the countys five-year average.

The report card by the Santa Monica-based non-profit organization is based on data filed by county health departments, which are required to test beach water quality samples for three types of bacteria at least once a week during the summer season.

Three local beaches landed on HealtheBays infamous Beach Bummer List, which ranks the 10 most polluted beaches in the state:

But other local beaches earned stellar grades for cleanliness, such as:

To find a clean beach near you, check the grades for local Bay Area beaches, by county:

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Santa Cruz County:

San Mateo County

Alameda and Contra Costa Counties

San Francisco County

To reach the full report, go to: http://www.beachreportcard.org

Read the original post:

Polllution testing reveals health of Bay Area beaches - The Mercury News