The most important thing I can tell you is watch out for sneaker waves every cast. I grew up in SoCal and it's nothing like it. A wave that doesn't even look big can run 50 yards up the beach and the current and power is unforgiving. Go to the waters edge and cast then back up to the dry sand every time. A PFD(live jacket) and a partner is advisable. Don't fish the surf if it's over 6 ft which it often is. It's too much hassle(but they will bite). Move up and down the beach till you find them. Fish often bite in 6" to 2 ft of water.
Okuma Celilo or Sst, or Lamiglass x11 rods won't break the bank and have great actions. I fish a 9' Celilo medium heavy with a Tranx 300 or 400 with 30lb braid with a short two hook 10 or 12 lb mono leader for redtail perch. Double dropper loop style. 2 to 6 oz bulldozer sinker. 4 oz is usually ok. The small diameter of the braid helps in the waves and side current. You'll get a lot of grass and kelp sometimes. We use 2" Gulp sandworms in camo or red(Don't even mess with real bait, the Sandworms are that good) on #4 baitholders or break longer worms into shorter lengths. Try to keep the worm straight so it doesn't cause drag. The perch hammer it.
For rocks or jetties throw swimbaits or big grubs tipped with squid or by themselves for rockfish and lings. 3/8 oz to 1/2 oz. Or drop shot with plastics. White, orange, chartreuse, yellow or red. Or the gulp Sandworms.
One of the most fun things, believe it or not, is throwing crab snares for dungeness and rock crabs. Use a heavy glass rod and fill your snare with fish or squid(some people use chicken). They peck squid away pretty fast but it's our favorite. Cast in back bays, off piers, jetties or low surf areas. Incredible eating if you have the means to boil them. Buy ProMar crab snares. The clear mono loops on the ProMar snares is softer and stays around the crabs legs or claws way better than the crummy heavy blue mono snares. You'll have to fiddle with them to open them up once in a while, but they won't spring open like the heavy blue ones which let the crabs out. You'll actually see them biting or pulling the snare around sometimes.
Check the regulations. They change as you move down the coast.
A rod that we've been very happy with and have several of in all lengths is a Goture Exceed in 7, 8, or 9 foot. I've been buying and using them for 5 or 6 years. They are 4 pc with spigot ferrules, very strong, with a softish tip but ballsy fast taper 8 to 20 lb test. And they're under $50. The 9 foot fits angled corner to corner in a large suitcase or you can keep them in their nice Cordura covered tube. I use mine all the time and I have caught hundreds of fish on them up to 25 lbs. I have 17 inshore travel rods( because I wanted to test them all) from St Croix, Okuma, Fenwick, Fiblink, Santiam, and Custom and I fish the Gotures the most. They're not the fine fit and finish of some of the others but they are a hell of a rod for function, balance and action. Kind of a lighter 196-8 type action. You can flyline a chovy or pilchard with them very easily. I'm strictly conventional/baitcast but my buddy loves their spinning versions.
