Which way to the beach at USC?

<p>DS is deciding between USC and UCLA for fall. We live at the beach and he surfs almost every day. While he knows this will probably become a weekend thing in college, is that even doable at USC without a car and with a surfboard in tow?</p>

<p>Do they allow surfboards on public transportation?</p>

<p>Dude there are probably some spots at the beach where you can store surf boards</p>

<p>I would think it would be a long ride on the bus to a good surf spot. He should be able to find someone to go surfing there on the weekends. Here’s a facebook group for Law Students that surf…he could send a message to the group organizer of the page and about undergrads or if he could join them. There’s an email contact there. </p>

<p>[<a href=“http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?sid=9309f9f077ebf1a052376c5cc826aaad&gid=24047464682[/url]”>http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?sid=9309f9f077ebf1a052376c5cc826aaad&gid=24047464682](USC Law Surf Club)</a></p>

<p>let’s try that link again:</p>

<p>[USC</a> Law Surf Club](<a href=“http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?sid=9309f9f077ebf1a052376c5cc826aaad&gid=24047464682]USC”>http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?sid=9309f9f077ebf1a052376c5cc826aaad&gid=24047464682)</p>

<p>SoCalGal09: I don’t know anything about USC’s Surf Club which I guess have outings. UCLA I understand has a similar club, and ofcourse they are closer to a beach (Santa Monica).</p>

<p>But if your son wants to go on his own and won’t have a car at USC, consider the zip cars (available on campus I think). I understand you can rent them for a day at a reasonable cost. If your son has a short board, I think it could work.</p>

<p>Closest beaches I think would still be Santa Monica by freeway 10, or Manhatten Beach by the 110 and 105, or the Redondo Beach area which is less direct.</p>

<p>Public transport is just out of the question.</p>

<p>I agree with Sequoia. Although there might be an express bus from Pico Blvd. in downtown LA to Santa Monica, but figure around 3 hours each way by bus. My son complains about the terrible traffic in LA and that it takes a long time even by car to get from one place to another in LA. If surfing is your son’s biggest passion, I would suggest going to UCSD which is almost on the beach. Also, I suggest that you consider choosing the college based upon best academic fit and tell your son he has something to look forward to when he comes home to visit during vacation. USC has some great academic programs. What does he want to study?</p>

<p>if he wants to surf make sure he finds someone with a car. The traffic is killer and Santa Monica is a horrible surf spot.</p>

<p>I have a friend who who chose UCI over UCLA simply because it was so close to the beach. He could leave campus and be in the water within 15 minutes. It won’t be like that at USC or UCLA because of traffic.</p>

<p>(copied and pasted from another thread- I want to put this here to have the info in one place)</p>

<p>The USC Surf Club website seems to have weekend trips but there is no contact info so not sure if it is up-to-date.
[url=<a href=“http://users.rcn.com/randall.emmons/events.html]USCSurfClub[/url”>http://users.rcn.com/randall.emmons/events.html]USCSurfClub[/url</a>]</p>

<p>Try calling the Office of Campus Activities- 213.740.5693 to ask about contact info for the Surf Club. I found this email as a contact but it may be old <a href=“mailto:leeb@usc.edu”>leeb@usc.edu</a></p>

<p>If you do find any more info about it, be sure to post here for others to know.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

<p>Thank you all for your input. I lived in LA for a while, so I’m well aware of the traffic woes. We live close (too close for DS) to UCSD, but USC & UCLA are better academic and social matches. Can an 18 year old rent a zip car? He does have a car, but isn’t parking $$$$? He’s used to surfing reef breaks, so Santa Monica may not cut it anyway (I believe UCLA students can catch a free shuttle to Santa Monica). Time to pick a new hobby?</p>

<p>Parking is $396/semester for an on-campus parking structure. It is less (about $50/month) for the University Parking center (a couple of blocks away), and they have free shuttles to campus.</p>

<p>oops! Forgot to include a link! [USC</a> Auxiliary Services | Transportation | Parking Rates](<a href=“http://transportation.usc.edu/guest_services/rates.aspx]USC”>http://transportation.usc.edu/guest_services/rates.aspx)</p>

<p>About Zipcar for USC-
-The cost to join is $35/year
-You only need to be 18+ to join
-Hourly rates start at $9/hour, Daily rates from $66- Gas & Insurance included
Here are other FAQ’s about it:
[url=<a href=“http://www.zipcar.com/how/faqs/]Zipcar[/url”>How Does Car Sharing Work? | Zipcar]Zipcar[/url</a>]</p>

<p>If he really wants to surf, I’m sure it is possible on the weekends. If I were you, I’d figure out which is a better fit- USC or UCLA. Then he can make the surfing work at either school.</p>

<p>Hmmm… Maybe bringing his car isn’t out of the question. It does make coming home easier. He’s driven to LA a few times and is pretty comfortable with “city” driving (although he’s as frustrated as the rest of us with the traffic). </p>

<p>cc411, you’re right about the fit being the most important thing. The buzz at his school is all about UCLA right now because all the decisions are posted at one time, but I’m hoping that will die down soon and he can be more objective on pros & cons of each. We’re lucky to be close enough to both schools to be able to do full day tours of each along with the SD area events.</p>

<p>SoCalGal09. We live in South Orange County and my S will be taking his car to USC. Parking is expensive but if they are needing to rent a zip car on a regular basis, that could add up too. </p>

<p>The coming home easier part is a major plus for us too.</p>

<p>Besides classes, the gym, and the nightlife, I’d assume the beach would be a “battleground,” no?</p>

<p>I think it was a video on YouTube, but I know girls at USC got an A+ for looks (and the guys were given a B).</p>

<p>When I think surf I think UCSB. Might be out of the question, though.</p>

<p>TrojanTransfer, I’m not sure what you mean by “battleground”, distraction, perhaps? And yes, girls rate well at both schools for S. (It’s on his rubric!)</p>

<p>grey_syntactics, UCSB & UCSD are both near great surf breaks, but not so much match schools for S. As much as he loves surfing, he prefers USC and UCLA.</p>

<p>By battleground, I meant that they’re places to meet people (dating and all that stuff) and that always comes with some kind of competition, even if it isn’t overt.</p>

<p>I’m working on getting cut/shredded/jacked/ripped/etc…</p>