The Surf Is Thumbs Up

The Surf Is Thumbs Up

Dr. Beach picks his favorite coastlines for swimming, snorkeling, and sunsets :

A few too many beach towels encroaching on your territory, menacing schools of jellyfhish, or glass shards glistening in the sand can make your trip to the shore a far cry from a day at the beach. Dr. Stephen Leatherman, whi used to be the director for the Laboratory for Coastal Research at the University of Maryland, ranks the nation's beaches every year. Known as Dr. Beach, Leatherman used 50 criteria – from sand softness and frequency of mosquitoes to wind speed and number of sunny days – to determine America's top 20.

Pollution is most likely to bring demerits to coastal retreats. “No one's going into water that has floating garbage”, notes Leatherman. He also has found that swimmers like warm surf (70 to 75 degrees) and clear water. “Even though clouded water might merely be the result of a river or marsh nearby, we have to downgrade for sediment.”

Surprisingly, California beaches don't make the grade. Leatherman cites big waves that run the risk of crushing small children, water that rarely registers over 65 degrees, and beaches that are too crowded.

In fact, crowds are a key factor wherever you go. Leatherman says, “The best beaches aren't necessarily the most popular. For example, the most popular beach in the country is Jones Beach, Long Island. Over 10 million people visit each year. I've flown over in a helicopter and the beach looks like a giant patchwork quilt.” 

Dr. Beach's picks are always curious. He takes first-place beaches out of the running every year because “top beaches will always be top beaches.”

Best Beaches in the World. Photo by Elena.