For collegiate refugees still battling college debt and searching for a real job, a good vacation consists of a cooler stocked with beer and a beachful of bikinis. Unfortunately, Sunset Beach is the only spot in the Bay area where you can legally party like a spring breaker year round without having to buy watered-down Rum Runners at an over-priced beach bar. This may change with pending legislation, so load up the cooler and beer bong while there's still time.
• Invest in a sun canopy. Don't underestimate the power of the sun to kill your beach buzz quicker than a sandy shot of Jager.
• Don't bring glass containers.
• Offer the cops bottled water. Beach cops are the coolest officers around, considering the kind of drunks they deal with daily. As long as you're not feeding under-aged women drinks, they'll treat you with as much respect as you give them.
• Carpool, arrive before 11 a.m., and park in the Sunset neighborhood. Don't start your beach day off driving around for an hour in the heat looking for a spot, then parking illegally. You will be towed.
• Don't plan to do anything later that night except eat pizza and watch TV. After a proper beach day you'll be nursing a hangover by 9. On the plus side you'll get plenty of sleep and be up nice and early on Sunday — just in time to drink some more.
This article appears in May 12-18, 2011.