A SLICE OF J1 ADVICE -HUNTINGTON BEACH
Huntington Beach is known as "Surf City" and is the birth place of America's surfing culture. The city plays host to the World Surfing Championship each summer and serious surfers can be found here all year round riding the waves. There is also world class Beach Volleyball played here which attracts countless contestants and fans alike.
The city offers some of the largest stretches of open-sand beaches in all of California in addition to one of the longest concrete piers in the entire world. As many as 500,000 visitors flock to the sandy white beaches during the peak season to escape the heat and humidity inland. For more general info on Huntington Beach visit:
TRANSPORT
The easiest way to get to Huntington Beach is to fly to Los Angeles Airport and then get a bus or train up to Huntington Beach.
When you get off at LAX, find the Flyaway shuttle going to UNION STATION. Pay $4 and get on. It will take you to the main train station in downtown LA. From there, you can take the Metro link Orange County line which will take you through Orange County. You can get off at Santa Ana and then take an OCTA bus to Huntington Beach.
Please take a look at for more information on train schedules.
For a more convenient however slightly more expensive option you can take a shuttle from outside the airport in LAX directly to your destination.
When you arrive at LAX, go outside the airport to the Orange overhead sign on the lower level and take the Super Shuttle or Primetime Shuttle. There are dispatchers right there to help you. They will take you directly to the door step of where you are going in Huntington Beach.
For more information see;
The OCTA bus line links all of Orange County's beaches, and serves Huntington's downtown and beach areas. Fares are about $1.25, or $3.00 for an all-day pass. Check route information and times. For transport around the city, why not do what the locals do and rent or buy a bicycle.
CLIMATE
Huntington Beach enjoys a warm and mild climate. Summer temperatures generally reach around 29ºC and rainfall is almost non-existent. The ocean is generally a balmy 18ºC, and the humidity found in other parts of the country is almost non-existent here.
ACCOMMODATION
Accommodation can be difficult to find for the three to four months you will be living and working in Huntington Beach. A good idea is to take a look at the student accommodation as these students will be in a position to rent their apartment for the summer period.
Additional accommodation sources are:
Hotels
Colonial Inn Youth Hostel - This 50-bed hostel has rates below US$20 per night and is four blocks from the beach and two blocks from restaurants, movies and shops. The hostel features a kitchen, laundry and free email.
Surf City Hostel - This is a small and friendly hostel with various communal areas for socialising and meeting people. In addition to this it is on a pedestrianized street just one block from the beach!
Rates start from $32 a night.
Oceanview Motel - The Motel is just within walking distance of the beach. It offers affordable rates with the best amenities and lots of tourist destinations nearby! Rate start at $37 a night.
JOBS
The majority of summer jobs for J1 students in Huntington Beach can be found on Main Street. This street is filled with countless surf shops, clothing stores, cafes, restaurants and bars. The best way to find employment is simply to walk the streets and apply in person in any of these stores or restaurants.
Major tourist attractions can be found 10 to 15 minutes outside Huntington Beach and can offer brilliant opportunities for students to find summer work.
Disneyland is located just 10 minutes from Huntington Beach and with more than 60 rides, 50 shops and 30 restaurants there are countless jobs to be found for J1 students.
Take a look at for more information on the different roles you can apply for.
Knotts Berry Farm Theme Park is only 15 minutes from Huntington Beach. This former berry farm is now 160 acres of rides, entertainment and other attractions, attracting thousands of tourists every summer.
For more information on job opportunities in the park please take a look at:
SOCIAL SCENE
The after-hours scene is no afterthought in Huntington Beach! While sun, sea and sand dominate Huntington Beach during the day, a sizzling down town setting spices things up by night with California comedy clubs, live music venues, nightclubs and much more!!!
Main Street is where it’s all happening at night, with countless restaurants, bars and live music venues dotted everywhere so there is no chance of you getting bored!
Spend a day learning to surf on one of Huntington’s beautiful beaches.
Go for a stroll along the Huntington Beach pier which stretches from Main Street to the Pacific Ocean.
Watch an independent surf film in The Surf Theatre.
Get some shopping in at the Loehmann's 5 Points Plaza, which is the very epicentre of Surf City shopping. It’s regularly voted as the number one Huntington Beach shopping destination
WI-FI ACCESS