A Huntington Beach local who played pro beach volleyball — and completed 233 escape rooms — just opened Surf City Escapes inside Pacific City. Ben Vaught built rooms around the HB vibe on purpose: the surf theme fits here in a way it wouldn't in an Irvine industrial park. Lane's team tried them out, and spoiler: they escaped with 27 seconds to spare.

What you'll learn:
- Why Ben chose Pacific City over Irvine, and the zoning hurdle he had to navigate to make it happen
- The four rooms at Surf City Escapes — including a surf escape, a California winery heist, a ghost-hunting room with a family and a spooky version, and a Sherlock mystery coming soon
- Why Ben designed everything for first-timers: no red herrings, clear puzzles, and zero shame in asking for hints (he asks 70% of the time)
- What it actually takes to build and test an escape room — six weeks of installation, 40 test runs before opening
- How the escape room industry works more like a community than a competition (and why bad experiences are the only real enemy)

🏪 Surf City Escapes Escape Rooms | 21058 Pacific Coast Highway #M210, Huntington Beach, CA 92648 | (714) 334-6373 | surfcityescapes.com
📱 Instagram / TikTok / Facebook: @surfcityescapes

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