SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Even though it already feels like summer, today officially marks the first day of spring.
And the spring breakers in San Diego are loving it.
“Oh man, this is amazing. We’re ski boys from Montana and we came down to surf. We don’t know how to surf, but everyone has been really mellow and helping us,†says Chess Ramers of Montana.
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With record-breaking heat usually comes record-breaking crowds along the San Diego coastline.
Out here, it looks more like mid-July than the end of March, with towels and chairs stretching for as far as the eye can see.
Of course, at a time like this, the vast majority of people gracing our beaches are visitors from another place, in another climate.
“Ahhh, this is incredible. We’re from Vegas and came over for the weekend. It’s like 110 there, and this is like heaven,†says Komonte Randall of Las Vegas.
While it’s nearly 100 degrees a few miles inland, the Pacific Ocean is Mother Nature’s air conditioner, with temperatures hovering around the low 80s along the coast.
Along with record-breaking air temperatures, the ocean has also hit an all-time high for this day, 65 degrees.
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The previous record was 64.
“Man, it feels a little chilly to begin with, but then you get used to it fast. There is nothing wrong about this kind of living,†says Randall of Vegas.
And when so many people flock to the coast at one time, it’s an instant boost for the businesses that rely on visitors to stay alive.
The winter months are always fairly tough to survive. So this is the time shops and restaurants start to make up the difference.
The warmer it is, the better it is.
“When it heats up like this, my business takes off. This is the time we have been waiting for. It’s been non-stop for the past several days, and we’re finally busy,†says Mike Kojak of Kojak’s Greek/American Restaurant in Mission Beach.
And if you think we humans are stoked about warm weather on the first day of spring, you should see our four-legged friends at Dog Beach.
It’s doggy heaven.
“We moved here from Minnesota, and my dog never went in the water, didn’t know how to swim. Now we go to Dog Beach several times a week, and my dog can’t get out of the water,†says John Cain, formerly of Minnesota.
Happy first day of Spring!
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