Parts of the Northern California Coast can look like this especially in Winter

 

parts of the Northern California coast can look like this. The long beaches of San Diego and Los Angeles County and others of beaches that seem to stretch on almost forever are broken by rocky shores and cliffs more in Northern California. There are still many beaches but more rocks along the way too. I remember renting a Condo in December in Solana beach at the top of a cliff on the ocean and experiencing 75 degrees or higher on the beach there with water still in the High 60s which was quite a treat too for December 2017. But, almost year around if you are going in the water it is cold enough on the northern Coasts to be wearing a wet or dry suit if you plan to do more than jump in and jump out.

For example, with temperatures as low as 37 degrees or lower on the northern coast recently from the polar vortex slipping the ocean near where I live now is 53 degrees Fahrenheit. So, though you might be okay to swim in it for awhile, you likely if you were going to spend any time there want a wet or dry suit so you don't get hypothermia right now.

by the way these two images are from Bing Images;
at:
https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailv2&form=INRECC&it=IMG&st=REC&dt=IMG&ucid=generalFeed_88&id=5E174E48161715BA4FEC5E2DC77B849E78351273&ccid=cyxfOA63&thid=OIP.cyxfOA63g7KhBA2KPOVa7AHaFj&first=1000&iss=VSI&expw=800&exph=600&ajaxhist=0&pagetoken=dt_image*fver_0*it_image*lft_gen*offset_0*st_rec*uci_generalFeed\_88*uft_gen&mediaurl=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.trekearth.com%2Fphotos%2F49751%2Fconstantine_sunset.jpg&simid=608001435194887320&pivotparams=insightsToken%3Dccid_odjACTSj*mid_F895AA87C53549F1FB7B18175374B161614A3C00*simid_608014096814769843*thid_OIP.odjACTSjze0eaGUaYZTWwQHaK5&selectedindex=6

One of the nice things about living on the west coast is sunsets because most people are awake for them over the ocean. This is definitely a California, Oregon and Washington passtime if people live on or are visiting the coast. Though I have lived in the mountains too in Mt. Shasta there is something about sunsets over the Peaceful (Pacific) Ocean that always calms my soul at sunset whether it was as a 4 year old in Seattle or any age after in California on the Coast or living in Hawaii on the big island or Maui.