If you come here in the summer and the weather is nice you can even take a swim here. Some of Norway’s most beautiful beaches are located just outside Stavanger. When you caome to Sola you will first of all come to Sola Beach. This is the see and be seen beach in the area and it is often pretty crowded on nice days. It can also be hard to find parking. If you drive a bit further out you will come to Ølberg and then Vigdel. I don''t have much experience with these places but Vigdel seems to be a hangout for families. I prefer to go to the beach Hellestø which is the next one you will get to when driving away from Stavanger. All the places that I have mentioned so far offer long sandy beaches with clear and refreshing water. I say refreshing even if my wife claims that it is just another word for "very cold water". If you are lucky the water will reach about 20 degrees Celcius. But it is more realistic to say that you have 16-17 degrees. Still, this is sufficient (especially when the sun has heated you for some time).
If you continue to drive away from Stavanger you will find the beaches of Orre and Bore. These are normally not crowded at all and they are the longest beaches in the area. A part of this beach is a nude beach, by the way, but I think that you will notice this. :-)
As I said the beach offers nice sand, clear and refreshing water and pretty good waves at times. The only thing that you have to worry about is the jelly fish. There are basically two types: the clear jelly fish that is harmless and the red jelly fish that stings. The red one looks nasty and a natural reaction is to stay away from it. But sometimes you bump into one (or a loose thread) and it stings a bit but it doesn''t cause anything but discomfort.