Doheny State Beach is particularly popular with volleyball players, in part because there are so many nets that visitors rarely have to wait for one to become available. (Scott Doggett / For the Times)
Lifeguard Grant Shubin at work. On a busy day, he will handle two emergencies an hour, ranging from heat exhaustion to drunks that wonder into the surf and soon find themselves in over their heads. (Scott Doggett / For the Times)