The Majesty of San Francisco's Ocean Beach
The Photography of Jon Rendell

Ocean Beach, the five mile long stretch of shoreline south of the Cliff House, has been a destination for San Franciscans and visitors since the 1850s. Due in part to its sometimes inhospitable weather (high winds, cold and fog), the area was largely undeveloped throughout most of San Francisco's early history, when it was known as part of the "Outside Lands." Ocean Beach became even more popular with the advent of public transportation and new roads provided an easy route from downtown.

Cliff House

Looking south along the five mile stretch of beach from Cliff House

The rapid rip currents and cold water make the ocean dangerous for casual swimmers and even those who simply want to set foot in it, and swimmers have been swept away and drowned. Nevertheless, the beach is one of the Bay Area's top surfing spots.

Sanderlings move quickly, running ahead of incoming waves and chasing after receding ones, probing for small sand crabs, which lie buried and are easiest to spot just after a wave retreats.

Dusk

Sea foam is a type of foam created by the agitation of seawater, particularly when it contains higher concentrations of dissolved organic matter derived from sources such as the offshore breakdown of algae blooms.