Is it okay to go surfing with a cold?

Should we go to the dog beach at Huntington Beach or Long Beach? And, surfing?

• So, we're going on a trip to California with our dog, and we have a little bit of time to visit the beach. We're planning on taking him to the dog beach either at Huntington Beach or Long Beach. So, my first question is: Which of those dog beaches would you recommend? We're going to be at Disneyland, and these two beaches are about equidistant from the park--so I need help deciding which to go to. Secondly, my boyfriend also really wants to do a little surfing while we're there, but we don't have much time to go to the dog beach plus another beach...and plus I've heard that the dog beaches are the only beaches on which dogs are even allowed. So, my question is, can you surf on the dog beach? I'm asking several questions in one, I guess: Are you allowed to surf on the dog beach? Are the waves decent enough for surfing? And, is there a nearby surf shop? Sorry if these are stupid questions, but we don't live in CA, and we've never been to a dog beach before. Thanks for your help!

• Answer:

  Long Beach doesn't have waves, a breakwater protects the port and cargo ships, and the water is some of the most polluted in California. I wouldn't let my dog in the water and I live in LBC. You can kill 2 birds with 1 stone by surfing and taking your dog to the dog beach in HB. Watch out for the locals, they're territorial about their surfing spots. The dog beach in HB is extremely popular and on the weekends the parking lot fills up early. Surfing is better in the morning anyway.People from LA drive to HB for the dog beach. Bring lots of quarters for the meters or they now take credit cards. A quarter gets you 15 minutes. There is a lifeguard on duty. The websites below will tell you more about the HB dog beach.