Keeping a Cool Head When the Heat's On : Diversions: A last-minute dose of hot weather is making Southern Californians crabby. Relief can be found in unusual places.

By KATHLEEN DOHENY

Sept. 29, 1991 12 AM PT

SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

You probably thought we had it made, weather-wise--that this summer would go down in Southern California history as the year we got off scorch-free.

But a few warm fall days are sending some of us scrambling to the depths of our closets--for flip-flops and short shorts--and making us very crabby.

Here are a dozen beat-the-heat measures, ranging from funky and free to outrageous and expensive:

* Head for the ice rink: The temperature inside the Ice Capades rink at North Hollywood’s Laurel Plaza (6100 Laurel Canyon Blvd.) is a brisk 60 degrees. Spectators also can get cool by watching skaters from the air-conditioned mall. Rink hours: 1-5 p.m. and 7:30-10 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; 1-5 p.m. Sunday and Monday. Admission: $5; $3.50 for age 50 and over; skate rental is $2. (818) 985-5555.

* Get thee to a winery: At San Antonio Winery, 737 Lamar St., Los Angeles, guests can walk through daily from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., says spokeswoman Cathy Riboli. In addition, 45-minute guided tours are given at noon, 1 and 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Inside the winery, the temperature varies, she says, but it is never more than about 55 degrees so the wine can properly chill. If you call ahead, Riboli will try to arrange a private guided tour. And once you’re cooled off, wine tasting and a full menu await at the winery’s Maddalena Restaurant. (213) 223-1401.

* Create winter in your own front yard: North Hollywood Ice Co. will dump 10 tons of person-made snow in your yard, even mounding it to create a winter-like scene. “We blow (the ice) down on the ground and it lasts all day,” says Rick Matsuoka, manager. “Back yards are hard to do, because they are hard to reach. Front yards and parks are better,” he says. Creating winter isn’t cheap. Plan on a $1,000 tab, Matsuoka estimates, and bring your own mittens. (818) 762-2237.

* Watch fish: If you can swim, you can be on your way to snorkeling in a matter of minutes. At Scuba Duba Dive, 7126 Reseda Blvd., manager Gerrit Crawford rents wet suits for $10 a day. For an extra $75, he’ll fit you with your own mask, fins and snorkel. Crawford is also happy to refer new snorkelers to his favorite snorkeling spots: Paradise Cove north of Malibu or Palos Verdes. “Or, hop the Catalina Express to Avalon,” he suggests. (818) 881-4545.

* Watch penguins: The Penguin Encounter at Sea World in San Diego is one of the coldest spots in the park, says Fred Jacobs, park spokesman. The temperature near the spectators’ moving walkway outside the exhibit is about 65 degrees, Jacobs estimates, while the penguins parade around in 22-degree digs.

If that area is jammed, try the splash zone at Shamu Stadium, where Shamu the whale and friends perform. The water is chilled to 55 degrees. “When that hits you, you’ll feel it,” Jacobs promises. Hours: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. daily. Prices: $22.95 for adults; $16.95 for children ages 3 to 11; children under 3 years free. (619) 226-3901.

* Find a cool workout: One choice is the Water Power Workout, an aqua aerobics class taught at four sites around Los Angeles. For information, call Huey’s Athletic Network, (213) 829-5622.

Or, choose a gym with an aerobics studio that is air-conditioned and limits the number of exercisers. “We keep ours around 72 degrees with air blowing through and only 30 people allowed,” says Richard Walsh, aerobics director at Mezzeplex in West Los Angeles. Nonmembers pay by the class, usually $10. (213) 473-1470.

* Hang out by the beach: City beaches seem to be covered with wall-to-wall sweaty bodies. But if you can tolerate the drive on the freeway, head north on U.S. 101 and exit Victoria Avenue in Oxnard. Drive southwest about four miles to Channel Islands Boulevard and swing into the small shopping area, which includes gift shops and restaurants, some with waterfront seating. There’s a new Maritime Museum too. Five minutes north is Ventura Harbor with restaurants, gift shops and breezy views. From the freeway, exit Seaward Avenue. More information: Oxnard Chamber of Commerce, (805) 485-5255 or Ventura Visitors’ Information Bureau, (805) 648-2075.

* Find a cool spot at the zoo: At Los Angeles Zoo, one of the coolest areas is a lookout point inside the cave at Adventure Island. You look out at a waterfall. Or try a bench along one of many shaded pathways. Open daily 10-6; admission is $6 for adults; $5 for seniors 65 and older; $2.75 for ages 2-12; under age 2 free. (213) 666-4090.

* Shop for groceries: It’s more difficult than in years past to find a frozen food aisle with open cases, says Vickie Sanders, spokeswoman for the Vons Companies Inc. Many floor cases have been replaced with the more modern closed-door upright cases, so customers have to open the doors to enjoy an Arctic-like breeze. The temperatures in frozen food cases--open or closed--are kept at minus-10 degrees Fahrenheit, Sanders says. But take heart: The temperature in the aisles of frozen food is about 20 degrees less than the temperature of the store.

Walk-in beer coolers are another possibility with temperatures of about 20 degrees. And imagine how cool you’ll keep by sitting on a keg.

* Ride the bus: Every bus in the RTD fleet of 2,600 vehicles is air-conditioned. But be sure you sit in the right seat, cautions one veteran rider. That means any seat but the rear one, right over the engine. “That’s true of older buses,” says Rick Jager, RTD spokesman, “but not the newer ones, where the air-conditioning is installed better.” Jager’s advice: If a bus looks more than 15 years old, avoid the back seats. Basic bus fare is $1.10. For more info on routes and schedules: (213) 626-4455.

* Chill out in your mind: Can cooling off be mind over matter? Gary Emery, a Los Angeles psychologist, thinks so.

“Another way to cool off,” says Emery, “is to quit talking about the heat. It makes you twice as hot.”