A consumer’s guide to the best and worst of sports media and merchandise. Ground rules: If it can be read, played, heard, observed, worn, viewed, dialed or downloaded, it’s in play here.

What: “The Outdoor Getaway Guide” (Foghorn Press)

Price: $14.95

Such a book has obvious appeal for new residents to Southern California and those deciding that weekends on the couch in front of a TV is really no way to spend their weekends.

What’s different about this outdoor guide is that it does not concentrate on any one activity, such as hiking or fishing. It touches on both--and a whole lot more.

Want to experience a really great sunset? The authors list Sandstone Peak, the tallest of the Santa Monica Mountains, as the best place to do so, especially on clear days when the Channel Islands are visible to the west and a portion of the San Fernando Valley can be seen to the southeast.

The best place to sky dive? The book gives you details and directions. Where is the best place to see fall colors? Consult the guide. Star-gazing, whale-watching, hiking, river-rafting . . . This book runs the gamut and, if nothing else, gives those wishing to start enjoying outdoor activities several avenues--complete with directions--from which to start.

There is one problem with such an expansive guide: The authors are not experts on everything they write about (there’s no way they could be in only one lifetime) and at times it shows.

In the freshwater fishing section, the book accurately lists Crowley Lake in the Eastern Sierra as one of the top fisheries available to Southland anglers. But it also mentions Castaic Lake in Los Angeles County as one of the top trophy largemouth bass fisheries, which used to be the case until striped bass got into the system a few years ago and started knocking the largemouth bass down to size.

The pier-fishing section suggests all the right piers, but says one of the things you’re likely to catch is sea trout. Sea trout? There are none locally.

On to surfing: The book lists some great beaches, and explains proper etiquette for beginners, but it also suggests that beginners are better off at high tide “when the waves break farthest from the shore.”

Beginners are better off at high tide, but only because the waves--which break closer to the shore--are slower and mushier because the water is deeper in close at high tide.

All in all, however, the helpful information far outweighs the inaccurate, and the numerous “featured trips” are proof that the authors do get out and about, that they truly enjoy the great outdoors and that they wish to share their knowledge with others.