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A beach in Hawaii, the water round here is freezing year round

If you only want to swim I would suggest Mission Bay. I've lived around the bay for most of my life. The water is about four degrees warmer than the ocean. In the bay you do not have to contend with waves which are pretty hard to swim in. Good swimming areas are Crown Point, Riveria Shores, De Anza Cove and almost any other part of Mission Bay that has a sandy beach. A few parts of Mission Bay are framed by large rocks. Most people use those areas for fishing and not swimming.

Swimming in the bay is easy. You mentioned a three year old daughter. You may want to checkout De Anza Cove because they usually have a lifeguard on duty there. You will want to avoid Fiesta Island and Dog Beach in Ocean Beach because there are dogs allowed there.

The water is going to be cold at all of them, and the weather on land is going to be about the same on all of them. Some people will go to parts of Mission Bay to swim, since the water is calmer. You might also try La Jolla Cove or La Jolla Shores, but there were just a ton of stingray stings at La Jolla Shores, and the Cove is very popular for snorkeling, so there could be a hard time finding parking, etc.

You can also try areas like Mission Beach and Pacific Beach, but there are waves there, you'll need to go to a swimmer only section, and you'll still have waves and riptides, etc., to deal with.

Most open water swimmers I'm aware of do it around the Cove, but tend to have to go first thing in the morning. And otherwise San Diego isn't really good for truly "swimming" in the ocean. It's usually more go in, get wet, and maybe body surf or boogie board a little. There aren't many places where you can swim extended distance, and the places like the Cove where people do it at times aren't exactly swimming pool conditions.

(And many beaches are going to allow dogs at certain times of day on a leash.)

Coronado Beach is a wonderful beach. It often makes the list of Top Ten US Beaches. It's the closest beach from downtown San Diego. Located on Coronado Island, this beach is in a clean, safe, upscale neighborhood.

Coronado City Beach is a wide, flat beach that stretches 1.5 miles between Hotel Del Coronado and the Island Naval Air Station. Avoid the area around Hotel Del Coronado as it will be crowded. If you head south of the hotel 5 blocks or so, you will be able to find a park in the neighborhood near the beach. It won't be nearly as crowded but there will still be a bathroom, outdoor shower, and lifeguards.

I love the gold sparkles in the sand...a great place for a toddler to play in the sand.

For pictures and directions to this beach visit:

http://www.sandiego-romantics.com/Coronado-City-Be...

Mission and Pacific Beach are your best bet for fun in the sun. There is a boardwalk that runs the entire 3 mile length of both beaches. It's a great place to swim, boogie board, rent a bike or skates.

http://www.missionbeachonline.com/

http://www.belmontpark.com/

La Jolla Cove is the warmest because it is kinda insulated in a cove. its the best for swimming because there is no waves, excellent snorkeling, and no dogs.

That's a good question!

Great point, I'd like to know more as well