As temperatures rose into the 90s Wednesday, hundreds of sunbathers took to Crissy Field and Baker Beach to enjoy the heat.
Tourists and remote workers stripped down and ran into the Bay from Crissy Field, framed between the twin landmarks of the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz.
“The water’s cold, but it’s good for the body,” said Antonio Galluccio, who was visiting California from Belgium.
Lily Hackett, 28, was technically on the clock, working her remote job in product marketing. But that didn’t stop her from bringing her golden retriever Juniper to the beach, where they both jumped in.
“The water feels amazing,” Hackett said.
Pelicans flew in a loose V above sunbathers, wet dogs, screaming toddlers, and parents happy to escape un-air-conditioned apartments.
Mikey Pitchers, a 62-year-old triathlete and art director, said he swims at Crissy Field three or four times a week. It’s usually pretty empty, he said, adding that he was happy to see other people spending time in the water. Originally from Florida, Pitchers has lived in San Francisco for 25 years.
“People gotta enjoy the beach,” he said.
At Baker Beach, on the other side of the bridge from Crissy Field, Harlan Hays, 32, shook water out of his hair as he emerged from the surf, returning after nearly three hours of swimming in open water. Hays swims here almost every day with his friend Lindsay Rader, 27, who he met through the San Francisco Opera where Hays sings and Rader plays piano.
Hays swims five days per week, year-round, without a wetsuit in the predictably frigid water.
“I always say to people, no matter what the weather is, the water is the same temperature,” Hays said.
For April and Steve, who declined to share their last names, Wednesday was their third day in a row at the beach. They had been to Ocean Beach but Baker Beach blows it out of the water, April said.
“I like the vibes and the view,” she said.
“It’s a good reminder we’re in a beach town,” Steve added.
