THINGS TO KNOW FOR BEACH SEASON

Memorial Day marks the unofficial opening of the back-to-the-beach summer season. But be sure to get there early. Warm, sunny weather draws crowds as large as 500,000. And there are only 14,500 public parking lot spaces along Los Angeles County’s 31.4 miles of beaches.

This summer, the latest fad will keep you on your toes. It’s rollerblades--roller skates with a single row of wheels in the center. “We sell them like crazy,” said Eva Smith, a saleswoman at Skatey’s Sports on Venice Beach.

For those who would rather ride than skate, the county’s oceanfront bicycle path is better than ever. Thanks to a new connector, it now runs for 21.6 miles from Torrance to Pacific Palisades.

The only bad news is the cost of parking. On Saturday it jumped to $5.

LOS ANGELES COUNTY BEACH FACTS

Number of public beaches in Los Angeles County: 23

Miles of public beach in Los Angeles County: 31.4

Miles of coastline in Los Angeles County: 76

Total attendance at public beaches in 1988: 59.56 million

Attendance in 1978: 55.7 million

Average attendance at public beaches on a weekend day in August, 1988: 500,000

Average attendance at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art for a week in August, 1988: 10,000

Number of public parking lot spaces at Los Angeles beaches: 14,500

Cost of parking in county lots at Los Angeles beaches: $5

Cost of parking in 1985: $4

Cost of parking in 1979: $1

Amount of money Los Angeles County received from beach parking and concessions in 1988: $4.1 million

County’s budget for operating beaches in 1988: $19.1 million

Most popular and longest beach: Santa Monica at 3 miles

Amount of money the city of Santa Monica received from beach parking and concessions in 1988: $2.6 million

City of Santa Monica’s budget for operating beaches in 1988: $2.8 million

Tons of trash removed from Santa Monica Beach in 1988: 1,560

Most popular surfing beach: Surfrider Beach in Malibu

Number of sea gulls on the beach from Santa Monica to Playa del Rey on Jan. 3, 1989: 6,493

Number of lifeguards working on Los Angeles beaches.

Year-round: 108

On busy summer days: 300

Salary range for lifeguards per hour: $12.06 to $14.50

Where to find beach art: Santa Monica Beach, where there are three public artworks called “Solar Web,” “Art Tool” and “Singing Beach Chairs.”

Number of official nude beaches: 0

Number of unofficial, tolerated nude beaches: 1, Sacred Cove in Ranch Palos Verdes

Number of days in first five months of 1989 that sewage spills closed beaches: 3

Number of days in last five months of 1987 that sewage spills closed beaches: 11

Number of days in 1988 that sewage spills closed beaches: 6

Length of bicycle path: 21.6 miles from Pacific Palisades to Torrance

Rescues made by lifeguards in 1988: 4,960, of whom 375 needed resuscitation

Drownings in 1988: 3

Children reported lost on the beach in 1988: 1,728

Children found in 1988: 1,728

Beach fads: Rollerblades, fluorescent colors, skin-tight sportswear, flip-on sunglasses

Number of confirmed shark attacks off public beaches in Los Angeles County in the last 50 years: 0

Number of unconfirmed shark attacks off Los Angeles County public beaches in the last 50 years: 1 (In January, 1989, a great white shark allegedly attacked and killed two kayakers. The kayaks were found near Point Mugu in Malibu.)

Tickets that were issued most often on Santa Monica Beach in 1988: citations for drinking alcohol, $47 fine.

Most unusual beach name: Zonker Harris Memorial Beach in Malibu, named for a sun-worshiping character in the Doonesbury comic strip.

Sources: Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors, Los Angeles County Recreational Health Program, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, City of Santa Monica Cultural and Recreation Services Department, Santa Monica Municipal Court and Kimball Garrett, ornithologist.