Cold beaches

Some New England beaches are swimmable in summer.

I'd think it's mostly about the view rather than the swimming possibilities. Plus, even if you can't swim, there's still recreational opportunities. Heck, even just walking on the beach is awesome.

What R2 said. Sort of the same reason people buy lakeside cabins in cold, mountainous, foresty areas. The water is much too cold to swim in, but you can admire the view and do other activities there.

The Pacific ocean is cold almost everywhere North of Mexico. Lots of people go to the cold water in SoCal.

Here’s a cozy retreat right on the water on the north shore of Lake Superior. That water is never never warmer than 50 degrees.

R4, I'm a southern California native and didn't realize our beaches were cold until a relative from back east visited in the dead of summer and declared how cold the water is. Your body does adjust to the temp though.

Norcal and farther north -- forget it, the water is freezing.

Well I cannot speak about West Coast beaches I can about those on the East Coast. People do pay a premium to be on the water regardless of how cold it is.

The further south you go in New England the warmer the water is during the high season. Currents have more to do with the temperature then you might realize. It depends on the location of those currents from the coast.

So interestingly enough a place like Prince Edward Island in Canada can have warmer water and areas due south.

As someone from the East Coast, I was SHOCKED at how cold the water was the first time I went in the ocean on Venice Beach, California.

I've only visited East Coast beaches. Even in the hottest weeks of August, the Atlantic City beach water was cold. In South Carolina, the beach water was chilly, but you got used to it after the first minute or so. At this point, any beach south of Florida is too cold for me, even in the summer.

I always considered New England, NY and NJ beaches to be dirty...lots of seaweed, rocks and other assorted items (particularly in NY and NJ). Florida beaches were always so much prettier to me. Plus the water was warmer and more clean and clear.

I grew up near a cold beach. Ocean Beach in SF. Huge beach, cold water, damp sand, undertow, fog, some sun. I loved being near the water but rarely went in except to wade. There are surfers along that part of the North Coast, especially around Pacifica, but they wear wet suits for warmth.

I'm not sure about paying a premium to live near Ocean Beach. The weather isn't great and there is a lot of structural damage from the cold salt air. SF is ridiculously over priced anyway and the neighborhoods by Ocean Beach aren't grand, but a good view will likely cost more.

There is no comparison between a cold beach and a tropical warm one where you can lay in the shallow gentle waves as they wash over you. Heaven.

R10 - Florida beaches are boring and not pretty. Sure, you get the sand and water - but there's nothing more than that visually. No cliffs, hills, rocky bays, mountains nearby.

Florida beaches are basically land-based sandbars next to uninteresting, flat land.

Why would anyone 'swim' in the ocean? The water is toxic; it's full of junk and dead things; riptides, rogue waves, sharks... You're just baiting disaster.

R12, Florida beaches are the only beaches in America that have the look idealized in postcards: the clear light blue water. Or, clear light green water on Florida's gulf coast. The upper west coast of Florida (Pensacola, Panama City, Mexico City) has soft sand that looks and feels like baby powder. And the water is clear green, like an Emerald color. You can open your eyes in the water and see 30 feet in front of you. The waves are small and gentle. The view is soothingly simple. It's like three horizontal stripes: tan/white (sand) - green (water) - blue (sky).

R13 MARY!

On the East Coast of Florida, the northern beaches (Daytona) look like the New England beaches with huge waves and green-blue-brown water. But as you head South towards Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, the water turns into an almost clear, light blue color. The waves get smaller and gentler too. Sometimes the water feels so warm, it's like being in a warm bath.

Absolutely. One, for the view alone.

Two, your body acclimates past the initial shock and it's so refreshing on a hot day. I only grew up with cold beaches and was SHOCKED at how pleasant tropical beaches are, like Hawaii or Puerto Rico.

Here's a nice example on Lake Huron in Michigan. Enjoy the frauen flopping in the sea. But $180k is a steal for (NICE) beachfront property, and no fucking hurricanes or tsunamis or other bullshit to worry about as with the ocean.

As r11 mentioned, people surf all along “cold beaches” here in Northern California. People even surf in Alaska.

People in New York pay a premium for views of the East or Hudson Rivers, even though they have absolutely no intention of ever swimming in them.

You can surf Lake Superior in the winter:

The Jersey Shore is long r10, and some beaches are classically pretty and carribean like.

Try Isand Beach out.

I used to love the Gulf of Mexico because I hate cold water. But it is starting to get too hot.

[quote]The Jersey Shore is long [R10], and some beaches are classically pretty and carribean like.

Yes, people routinely confuse the beaches in New Jersey with those in St. John's and Barbados.

Interesting, OP, I never heard anyone use the term “cold beaches” before, but it perfectly describes it.

Apparently, even wading knee-deep off the coast of Oregon can be rather dangerous. This site tells you all about the lovely dangers lurking beneath over there.

Cold beach.

R26, lol.

My grandmother has a house on the beach in England.

It's quite lovely -- as long as you don't actually go in the water.

My in-laws bought a piece of property in a sleepy Coastal Seatown in Maine for a vacation place for their family in the 60's. It came with a run-down Porter's lodge from an old Inn but had a stunning view ( you know, the high cliff over-looking the rocky coast and ocean.)

Over the years, they tore down the original structure, and built what would be their dream home and retired there. After they passed on, and the kids were split up all over the Country, my husband and his siblings decided to sell it as part of the Estate. $850,000 later....

There are some places where the water is almost too hot to swim in. I worked in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, which is right on the Red Sea. The water there is VERY warm in the summer.

R30, yeah, when the water is too warm, it kinda defeats the purpose of going to a beach to cool off.

R30, I'd love to swim at a hot beach. But, being a woman, I'm wary of the type of swimsuit I'd have to wear in Saudi Arabia.

Another LA native you never knew our water is considered cold. I remember the first time I went to Miami I was stunned by the water! Felt more like bathwater.

But, as others have said, being near the water is about so much more than swimming. Not to get all new age-y, but it can be a bit spiritual. Also, if you're near the water, chances are you have access to fresh seafood - which is always a plus.

I grew up on the Oregon coast. It was fucking miserable, even in the summer when the weather is nicer. The sand is coarse, and the water is rough and cold. The wind often blows sand in your face. The people who love the Oregon coast are too poor to travel to better beaches.

That's hilarious, your insight, OP. I know at least one colleague in sociology, a graphics engineer who maps people's retinas, an accountant/tax consultant, and a coupla poets who live on the Northwest coast, and apparently love it.

r5: I knew a guy that worked in advertising--the guy that flew a chevy onto the top of a chimney butte in Utah (I think it was Utah) who loaned us his cabin on the Au Train river, about a quarter-mile from the lake. Beautiful up there in summer. But Superior was just lovely to look at, and bathe hiking-weary feet in. I jumpt in once because of those giant biting deer flies.

and if you ever want the exact opposite of one of these beaches, try Bahia Hondo in the Key West chain. In early May the sun is already like a magnifying glass down on your head, the rock lobsters are right out there in the wadeable reefs, and clear Caribbean water, it was gorgeous last time I was there. Long time ago now though.

In Maine, the water typically isn't warm enough until late July,or August. But people do swim. Yes.

R137, I agree. The water is that beautiful clear color. And if you walk across the street, then you're at another beach with green water (gulf side). On either side, the beach is just a tiny slither of sand. It's one of the few beaches with good sand.

If you go all the way down to Key West, the best beach is at Fort Zachary, but the ocean floor is covered in broken off pieces of coral reef. (Ouch!) And there are huge cruise ships sailing through your view of the horizon.

I've swam in the water at Nova Scotia beaches and I've found the temps in August to be quite acceptable. Maybe not lukewarm but certainly not uncomfortable. I've been told that the water is even warmer in September but so far I haven't verified this.

I don’t go in the water much at all, but I like to go to the coast for the scenery, the wildlife, watching the waves and surfers, photography, etc. And just because the water is cold doesn’t mean it’s too cold to relax or sunbathe. Vancouver has a nice clothing optional beach with very pretty scenery. I wasn’t there in the summer, but I know it’s quite popular.

I totally agree with R38. I live on the Maine seacoast and will only go for a swim in the ocean during August. But I love the ocean year round and cannot imagine not living nearby.

The water temperature in the Pacific is frigid, but what beautiful scenery.

[quote]I've swam in the water at Nova Scotia beaches

Oh, dear.

Cold-water beaches aren't for swimming, they're for hanging out on, sunbathing on, or taking long bracing walks on! And yes, taking a long bracing walk on an uncrowded beach, which the surf roars and the sun sparkles and the seagulls wheel over and the cold wind reddens your cheeks, well, it's not the same as a tropical beach crowded with guys in speedos, but it's wonderful in a very different way.

Because yes, the cold-water beaches don't tend to be crowded. Here's 30 Mile Beach about an hour north of San Francisco, where you'll see maybe a dozen people on the beach near the few parking lots. You could take a fifty-mile walk there and hardly see anyone except birds and seals.

[quote] R137, I agree.

R39, you may regret that once R137 posts.

It's all perspective. If you've never been to a warm beach, you have no idea how cold a beach can be. You swim there because everybody around you is doing it, and they don't seem to be cold. So you accept the initial brace and get used to it.

When I was a kid in northern California, we'd go to the beaches to hang out and enjoy the sun and scenery, and on hot summer days we'd actually go swimming in the freezing cold ocean! The same ocean where surfers wear wet suits even though they don't spend much time in the actual water!

The rule for most kids was that you had to come out of the water when your lips turned blue.

R43 The Pacific Ocean is rather large - it’s not exactly frigid everywhere.

R29, one of my favorite TV shows is Maine Cabin Masters. They renovate old cabins and camps all over Maine. Most aren't worth as much as your family home, though. Yours must have been really nice.

R34, I once saw a comment from someone at Lincoln City (Oregon coast): "It was a lovely summer day at the beach! I even took off one of my sweatshirts."

I'm in R.I. The ocean is fine for swimming in Summer. Houses on the ocean start at a million and go up to whatever Taylor Swift paid for hers. I think it broke a record.

I grew up in Oregon and if I had the means, I'd love to have a home on the Oregon coast. I think people who don't like it think that "beach" automatically means Baywatch and ice cream. But for me, warm beaches are too crowded, the scenery is boring, the water is like a bathtub.

I remember as a kid, swimming regularly in beaches along the southern CA coast with my sister. Thinking back, it was quite freezing cold at times and it was just accepted you ho right, be brave and just wait the ten minutes till you were numb. I figured this was what every beach was like. Then as the day grew warmer, you just let the waves bash your body around and make friends for hours. I sure don't think I would enjoy all that now at 60, whatwith the invention of sharks and riptides, etc.

I have on my bucket list to try other beaches like Florida, Texas, and East Coast.

I always think of this when I watch Murder, She Wrote.

Two warmest beaches I’ve ever been to:

1) Horseshoe Beach (Bermuda) in August

2) Manuel Antonio (Costa Rica) in March

Both wonderful

Coldest beach - the Apostle Islands (Lake Superior) in August.

Absolutely bone-chilling, but my brothers and I went in on a dare.

I'm Norwegian. Here it's more about an ocean view than it is living next to a beach. I live a 5 minute walk away from the beach though, so I'm one of the lucky ones. Also, the sea temp get to the low 20s (low 70s F) in the summer, so it's actually not that bad. I live in south Norway though, north Norway is a different matter, lol.

I'm Norwegian. Here it's more about an ocean view than it is living next to a beach. I live a 5 minute walk away from the beach though, so I'm one of the lucky ones. Also, the sea temp get to the low 20s (low 70s F) in the summer, so it's actually not that bad. I live in south Norway though, north Norway is a different matter, lol.

There is a Norwegian poster who says he goes swimming off the coast in summer. A Norway beach sounds fatally cold to me, but I guess the water must warm up enough out there for a dip.

R58, wow, coincidence!

The Gulf Stream brings comparatively warm water to Norway, if I'm not mistaken.

And a current flows along the west coast of North America from Alaska to California, so the sea on all those California beaches is much colder than people expect it to be.

Looking out over the water is a very soothing thing. Houses with a water view are always in demand. But in Florida, all along the gulf coast, and up the southeast coast, a water view comes with a hurricane warning and a huge insurance premium. In the West coast, there's no danger of that, but houses right at water's edge are vulnerable to tsunamis. The ideal west coast house would be situated on a rocky ledge 200 feet or so above ocean level. Awesome views year round, and no need to run uphill in case of an earthquake.

The cabin with the Zillow listing is might pricey for a 371 sq ft "cabin".

R59 Yes, after a heatwave the ocean temp is in the low 20s... 21-23 degrees C in summer. Perfectly fine for swimming.

Besides being colder, the Pacific ocean is full of underwater waves. This makes scuba diving hard on a person that gets motion sick easily. Imagine barfing into your air supply at 20ft. Not fun.

This 4th generation California native moved to.Floriduh. Waco politics, but otherwise warm and quier.

How many states can you surf the ocean and ski on the same day. Not many. California is one.

R66 We don't have that here in Norway, but other countries in Europe do. Spain is one example.

Grew up in New England, we would swim in the cold waters of the Atlantic every summer. Been as far north in Maine as Bar Harbor, and even there the water was fine (Sand Beach, Acadia Nat'l Park.) Florida was beautiful, but I once went to the beach on the space coast and realized I was surrounded by jellyfish (no thank you.) The only place the water was too cold to go above my ankles was Nova Scotia...which felt like ice water. You can adjust to cold water swimming... it takes a few minutes at first, and each time you go in it's easier. After a week, you just walk in and go under without qualms.

British Columbia has some lovely oceanfront with, what I imagine, is rather cold and unswimmable water.

R44 Outing myself as the poster, I'm embarrassed because I'm a hard core grammar Nazi. Swim, Swam, SWUM ! My excuse - senility .

When I was a youngster I vacationed at Falcon Lake in the south-eastern part of Manitoba known as the Whiteshell. The lake water was frigid and my feet ached from the cold. To add insult to injury, the lake was infested with leeches which we called blood suckers.

Oregon surfing -- feel free to mute the annoying music. These guys must be a little bit crazy.

R71, yikes. The leeches sound worse than the cold water!

Surfers gonna surf...

Not for beachfront R63. And GOOD beach - not shitty rock beach. The cabin itself is inconsequential.

You can get a house non waterfront for far less.

Otherwise, for over a half mill (instead of 180k in the R17 example) you can have this ostentatious house, still in the middle of blue collar land...

But doesn't your furniture rot being so close to the sea?

I am excessively jealous of people who have waterfront property. Lake, river, ocean, stream; I'd be happy with any if they're on the water. I'm a mile from a river, 30 miles from an ocean, but I'd love to be closer. I'd really love an acre with a year-round stream. Nothing like splashing in a babbling brook on a hot day.

[quote] In the West coast, there's no danger of that, but houses right at water's edge are vulnerable to tsunamis.

How common are tsunamis on the West Coast?

I grew up outside city and spent summers going out to Jones Beach on Long Island. Love love Atlantic Ocean. Now living outside Seattle we’ve taken our son to the Oregon Coast. It is incredible. Cannon Beach (where they filmed Goonies) is breathtaking. I would never ever swim in there though. Everyone should experience it though once in their life

I grew up swimming in Long Island Sound. The water didn’t seem to be that cold, but I remember seeing my knees and scars turn purple from the cold.

Now we swim in the Atlantic in East Hampton. The water gets very pleasant in July and August.

Even the Caribbean isn’t idyllic. we had taken a trip to Barbados one year, and one side of the island had colder, rougher, darker water than the other. We commented how similar it was to the EH water. Didn’t bother us.

r17 is "10 minutes from Oscoda"!

[quote]some beaches are classically pretty and carribean like.

Oh, dear.

Not very, R3, but cliffside homes have other issues.

oops, r84 was meant for r79.

The most recent tsunami in California was one in 2011 that wrecked a few docks in Crescent City and Santa Cruz, and caused minor damage elsewhere. It was generated by the Fukushima earthquake.

I noticed a lot of tsunami evacuation route signs off the Northern California and Oregon coasts.

The "big one" , a subduction zone in the Cascadia fault, is expected any time now and will likely generate a 20-40 foot tsunami from northern California to Vancouver Island. Some places, like Long Beach Washington, which has no high ground, will be wiped off the map completely.

The Mid-Atlantic beaches are the best swimming beaches. The Atlantic is nice and comfortable in the summer compared to the frigid Pacific. A couple of things I noticed from growing up near the Atlantic in New Jersey compared to the Pacific where I go on weekends.

The Atlantic: the sand is nicer, there are not any natural rocks, the water is warmer, the sea breezes are warmer, the late afternoons are fantastic, the people less insane, the smell of the ocean is strong and you can smell it before you get near it.

The Pacific: The sand is courser, some beaches are just rocks, the sand is dirtier, the waves are gigantic, the sting rays are a menace, the wind off the ocean is freezing even on some of the hottest days, barely any ocean smell, and the people are pretty much insane.

R87, people have been saying that the big one is coming in that area for 50 years.

I love cold bitches.

Chile has some gorgeous cold beaches.

[quote]Florida beaches were always so much prettier to me. Plus the water was warmer and more clean and clear.

Sure, if you don't mind the gross, rotten egg smell of red tide or brain eating amoebas.

Clear water beach is lovely. Serene at sunset in October.

[quote] Chile has some gorgeous cold beaches.

Which ones, R91?

I went to Chile last year, during July, the Chilean winter. Hit several beaches, and they looked almost exactly like Californian beaches! Some were the small rocky coves that are so common on the California coast, and the beach at La Serena was long and wide, and stretched the entire length of the city, like the ones around LA.

But then, in Central Chile near Santiago, much of the landscape looked just like Southern California.

The Atlantic Seaboard beaches in Cape Town are gorgeous but too cold for swimming. I think the beaches on the False Bay side of the cape are slightly warmer and swimmable during the hottest days of summer (just watch out for sharks).

Speaking of Chile, I know this is off topic, but does anyone know what's going on there re gay marriage? I thought they were on the brink to legalizing it, but now I'm not so sure anymore. I still can't believe Colombia and Costa Rica beat them to it, they're both third world countries. Chile is part of the southern cone, the most affluent region in all of South America.

R94, towards Torres del Paine -- amazing fjords and alpine scenery. I imagine Alaska has similar, epic, glacial scenery, but I'm not familiar with it yet.

I grew up in Santa Barbara, the water was about 65F during most of the year. After the initial shock, you get used to it. Your body sort of goes numb. After an hour or two in the hot sun it's really nice, like jumping into a cold pool.

The first time I went to Florida during the summer I want into the water and was like WTF? It's warmer than a hot bath and the air temp is almost 90 degrees. How do people fucking cool off down here!

R88, I think the Atlantic wins on water temperature -- the waves don't seem as rough, so it's more user-friendly the Pacific. But the Pacific coast has more stunning topography, IMO.

The Norwegian coast looks amazing.

Stunning yes ! But is it swimable ? I think not. (reference Newfoundland for a North American equivalent).

Winter surfing : Lawrence Town Beach , Nova Scotia.

Eat your heart out Hawaii !

Straight men will do ANYTHING to get out of the house in winter, R103!

R103, wow -- hardcore! And a little bit crazy.

I had a friend from Oregon who did not understand the appeal of east coast beaches. She said that without rocks to climb and tidepools to look at, you were stuck just laying in the sun. To her the beach was a place you went to do activities.

R17, I was very impressed with the Michigan coast, based on the little bit that I saw -- rolling sand dunes and such. I didn't try to get in the water though.

Your friend sounds like an imbecile, r106.

To the poster who was asking about west coast tsunamis, here's a video of Crescent City, CA after that massive Japanese tsunami in 2011. Kinda scary.

R108, when visited a Canadian beach it was the same as she described. People when there to hike and see wildlife. They would have called me an imbecile if I went to sunbathe.

There are difference kinds of beaches.

R106, R108, I would agree with the friend.

Growing up on the Oregon coast, it usually isn't warm enough to lounge around on towels during the day. You either explore, take a walk, fly kites, or run away from waves and splash around a bit.

The friend isn't being dense, it's just how it is with cold beaches. There is beautiful scenery, but you usually need to stay active in some way to stay warm all year round.

When I first went to a warm water beach, it didn't compute and I was a little out off. I enjoy warm water beaches now, but they are just not what I'm use to.

As for Oregon, beach front property is always in demand. If you're smart though, you get the house up on a hill, slightly away from the beach, with a killer view.

Is the Washington Coast similar to Oregon's?

Yes, R112, but I believe it's less accessible by road. Highway 101 runs right along the Oregon coast, it's a famous scenic drive, in Washington the highways are more inland and there's no direct coastal road, and I don't know how many beaches there are on the byways. I did the Oregon coast road a couple of years ago and I recommend it to anyone who likes road trips, cold beaches and scenic bays, and long drives. It's been a long time since I drove through Washington state, but mostly I remember heavily logged pine forests along the freeway.

I believe there's the same rocks and temperate forests, though, and the forests get lusher and wetter as you get to the Olympic Peninsula. Definitely see the Olympic Peninsula some time, and bring some damn good rain gear.

Shi Shi Beach in Washington looks beautiful.

OP, your photo is God’s country.

Love cold beaches. I’d have zero issue living next to one, but living next to one isn’t necessary in order to enjoy the view.

Absolutely gorgeous and preferable to beach house littered Malibu.

Are Japanese beaches cold? You never hear about em

The sound of the waves is very soothing.

It’s pathetic, the beaches in NE are ugly. Nothing tropical or fun about rocks and cold water.

I went surfing in Oregon and it sucked how cold the water was. After 20 minutes in the water (with a wet suit), the veins on my hand looked and felt like earthworms.

R59 It's not that cold, especially not after a heatwave. I live near a fjord in south-eastern Norway. It's a shallow fjord, not filled with ice water as the fjords you probably think about in western Norway. We have fjords here in the south too, just not with the tall steep mountains covered with snow and ice as western Norway. Anyways, the sea temp is in the low 20s C in summer (low 70s F). It's not too bad. Last summer I went swimming for hours.

You realize that 99% of the people here do not "think about [fjords] in western Norway."

We do not know the regions of Norway.

We saw a photo of a fjord and thought it looked cold.

R121 Yes, I know. You're right. The fjords in most of the tourist pics from Norway are indeed very cold as they are mostly ice weater from the mountains. However that is not the case where I live. There are no huge mountains along this fjord, which is why the water is warmer and actually swimmable. The same can be said for most fjords in the Oslo-area. That part of Norway is flatter.

When I was a boy we’d go to Stinson Beach every July Fourth to get slammed around by crashing waves of frigid water, tangled up in slimy seaweed, and blistered by the coarse sand blowing in the cold wind. We had a ball.

I thought California beaches were warm.

The southern California beaches are warm, but the water is cold enough that the surfers wear light wet suits. The beaches of northern California can be cool, brisk, or just damn cold, and the water is so cold your lips turn blue if you swim without a wetsuit, and a lot of beaches have rough surf or undertown and you don't want to swim there.

Northern California beaches are for hanging out on or taking brisk walks on, not swimming!

R121 Your post reads like that of a typical American parochial fuckwit.

I live in the PNW. One does not swim in the ocean here. You take in the views and crisp air and solitude. You can be sucked in by a wave and die in the blink of an eye in the northern Pacific. That said, make a trip to the Olympic Peninsula and experience the reason why it is revered. Ancient timbers, moss, trees that grow from old trees. General peace with nature. Get the hell out of the east coast, boring midwest, plains states and see what is left of the grandeur of the PNW. Also the boring drive to get there through the middle states. California is generally bleak until you get to the northern portion of the state. I have lived everywhere. Deep South,Fla. East Coast, Chicago, Calif. Trust me!

R96, thanks for the info. Cape Town looks stunning.

I live in New England and go to a private beach (the shore is, rightly, open to everyone). The water can be cold but it gets warmer in late August. I was just in Los Angeles and went to Zuma Beach. The water was cold, very cold, but I had never gone swimming in the Pacific from the mainland, only in Hawaii. "Swimming" was being up to my knees for 5 minutes until I had the nerve to dunk my head and get the hell out.

R129, it is a private beach but it is open to everyone?

Why is there a Cape Town but no Caftan Town?

No low 20s is not fine, many people would just die from the cold.

I remember being so excited traveling to Greece as a 30 year old and looking forward to the Mykonos and Santorini beaches. I was total underwhelmed. Favorite for me is still Little Beach in Maui. (Stunning Clothing optional beach with gay “play area” in the trees) Perfect water temperature, like-minded people, and unforgettable views.

R130, sorry to be unclear. Entrance through the club and its beach is private. I think state law says the shoreline is open to everyone at two feet above high tide. People can then have long uninterrupted walks along the shore.

I have never seen a beach that is private. I cannot imagine how that would be managed because there is no real way to mark it.

Also, it does not seem right.

But from what I am told it is a west coast thing.

R135 - Here in Malibu we have “private beaches” because they are created by coves. In other words, there’s no way to walk straight down the beach along the water because a sharp, rocky formation juts out into the water. These beaches still have “public access,” but us local residents make it difficult for fat fraus and their spawn traveling from whatever Midwest hellhole they came from, to find. Often times, we illegally remove the “public beach access” signs.

I forgot about this thread, I loved it. R127, where are you now exactly???? I haven’t been up there in forever but your post is inspiring me to return!

Does anyone want to weigh in on the beach at Barrow, Alaska?

Perfect New Jersey beach. Even Stingrays. Warm clear water, sugar sand.

"Does anyone want to weigh in on the beach at Barrow, Alaska?"

Well like most birdwatchers, I'd love a chance to visit! All the arctic birds by the billion, and four kinds of eiders!

You can always find someone with an opinion on ANYTHING, on the Datalounge.

[quote]Home has an unobstructed view of the Arctic Ocean.

[quote] have never seen a beach that is private. I cannot imagine how that would be managed because there is no real way to mark it.

I think they have them in the Hamptons (Southampton and East Hampton, I believe). You have to display a pass in your car that shows you're a resident of the town to use the beach parking lots. There is some way of getting around it. I think if you go on a weekday and pay more than $30, you can get a day pass.

The high school football team in Barrow, Alaska jumps headlong into the water after every home victory.

Who has the warmest beaches in Europe?

I would imagine that Italy and Greece have the warmest European beaches.

Do you count the Canary Islands as part of Europe?

In NYC the beaches are primarily Brighton, Coney Island (subway) and then Riis Park and the Rockaways (big waves, Queens). The season is generally Mid-June to early September which is about 3 months, but the water can be very warm July 4-August 15th and on a really hot day the best place to be. P.S. Add May and October on both ends for Russians in Brighton. Next to Moscow it's like Capri.

After a VERY cold and rainy May it's finally starting to get warm. It's 20°C and sunny today. Feels like summer. Will take a while for the sea to heat up though. Will take at least another month if not more. Current sea temps are not exactly inviting, lol! 10°C... nobody is willing to go swimming in that.

I don’t give the appeal of being near beaches or the coast. I hate sand and the water is too polluted and dangerous to appeal to me. I prefer mountains and cities.

The warmest ocean water in North America is on the Pacific Coast of Mexico between and including Puerto Vallarta and Puerto Angel.

The water is often in low 90º F. range (32º C.)

The Gulf Coast often Has water temps in the 90s

I lived on Long Island for yrs. I could NEVER get into the water although at 4-H camp in Riverhead, we were forced to.....it was always cold even at the end of August

R150, wow, I did not know that!

What is the beach-water like near Cabo?

I've actually been to many oceans around the U.S. I grew up in Southern California, and the water in summer MAYBE got to 69-70 if you were lucky. I live in NorCal now and although I live about 30 miles from the coast, I don't often visit the beach and when I do, it's usually because I need to escape the extreme heat. Unfortunately, when that happens, it will always be about 59 degrees and the wind will be blowing like hell. If you don't have AC, you do what you have to do. That said, I prefer the beaches in NorCal because they are so much more beautiful and clean and WILD, with lots of wildlife to see.

I went to Florida a few times as a kid and absolutely HATED those beaches. They were flat, ugly, shallow and there was no cooling off when you were too hot from the sun because water was so warm. No love for those beaches. Similarly, I once went to Baja Mexico and the water was way too warm and not enjoyable.

I have also been to some beaches in Massachusetts during the summer and the water was warm enough for me to be okay to go in without a sharp intake of breath. Of course, the overwhelming humidity and heat has you ready for pretty much any temperature so you can cool off.

Also visited a beach in August up in Washington (Port Townsend - Olympic Peninsula). I don't recall the beach, but the water was warm enough to be enjoyable.

Lastly, I've visited my parents on both Kauai and the Big Island and those beaches are both beautiful and have warm water, plus teeming with wildlife. I appreciate all the beaches I've visited but don't need to re-visit Florida or the Mexican locale I was at (miles past Mexicali).

Don’t say “lastly.”

OP Nothing like a bracing dip in a frigid ocean. Does the body the power of good.

Ugh no dude

We need a heatwave for the sea temps to rise fast. It's warmish these days on land, low 20s C (low 70s F), but nights are still fairly cold with like 13°C. We need a week of temps in the 25-30 range and night temps in the 18-20 range, then the sea temp will rise and it will be swimmable. Right now sea temp is 15°C. Way too cold for swimming, which is a shame because it's 25°C today on land. I need at least sea temps in the 18-20°C range for me to even attempt swimmig, lol! Anything below that is too cold imo.

I’ve been surfing in Oregon, and the beach towns I visited were pretty trashy, even if it might still coast more to live near the water.

Ugh, even with a wetsuit in the middle of summer, the water was freezing cold. After 10 minutes the veins in my hand looked and felt like earthworms.

Current sea temps in my area if you're curious... 14-15 range today. Maybe it'll be warm enough by the end of the month, we'll see. Last year it reached 22 after a heatwave. Right now I'd be fine with 18-20 degrees.

Susan Dey

Current sea temps near me. Still too cold to swim imo. I need it to be at least 20°C.

Sea temp reached 19°C today. Almost warm enough to swim, finally!

I love cold beaches, my favorite place

I grew up only a few miles from nice beaches, UK climate, but I think I only got in the water a couple of times in my life because it was still freezing and kind of ick. Meanwhile I loved going to the town's regular swimming pool. So I'd agree it's about the walks and views more than anything else.

R66: Haven't heard that old trope in ages. The ski and swim aspect of southern Califonia lasts for a about a month (at most) every year and requires a lot of driving through congested traffic. It's much like claims of year round sunhine that skip over the June gloom and its winter equivalent, or the cold Pacific water,

R106: Plenty of rocky beaches on the East Coast, particularly in New England.

For me, it’s the bath effect - something I romanticize that promises relaxation and promotes health. I’m good for ten minutes tops and then I need to leave.

I’ve browsed house boats in my area on Trulia - boats were once cheap as fuck. Ads for Interlake and Lake Washington feature drone footage of city scapes and mountain views. They fail to mention you’re on the first or second floor of a boat surrounded by megaboats and facing a huge bridge or boat crane thingie. Plus, most of these are just buildings on rafts that must be towed, so it’s not like you can change your scenery whenever you want.

I don’t like beaches at all

It's all about the beaches of Nunavut.

Beautiful day today. Just went for a swim! I think the sea temp was like 19°C. Not too bad. I actually swam for 20 minutes. I live a 5 minute walk from the beach. I'm very lucky. In these covid times, having a beach so close is amazing.

21-23 degrees C in summer. Perfectly fine for swimming

No Miss Norsey, it is far too cold for swimming. Yes you CAN swim but just how enjoyable is it really? How long until you turn blue?

R171 I think we are just used to it, lol. Most Norwegian kids swim if it's like 15-16 degrees. I prefer 20 or above, but I can consider if it's like 18 or 19 degrees. It's nice to cool down if it's a hot day.

Went swimming again today. Was nice. Not too cold. I think it was like 18 degrees.

Sea temp today is 17°C. Almost swimmable!

Just went swimming for an hour. 19°C in the sea. Was actually swimmable today.

Typical summer beach day in LA. Millions seem to not mind the "cold" water. I never found it cold and I spent summers at a beach club in Santa Monica growing up.

I was visiting friends in Brighton one summer - now that is cold water. And the beach is made of rocks. But it is a charming town.

I used to live in Brighton and go down to the beach most days in the summer. It's a pebble beach, but it's nice, and very swimmable in the summer.

Aberdeen, in Scotland, now associated with oil, was once a holiday destination for Scottish workers. it's on a parallel with the southern part of Norway, so I can well believe people do swim in the sea in Southern Norway.

23°C on land today and 20°C in the sea. The sea actually felt warm. I literally swam for 90 minutes. It's great exercise.

Yes, Norway is melting and soon you won't need your hygge or furs. But you will always have your oil.

R176, to be honest, I consider any beach waters north of Santa Barbara too cold. Definitely by Big Sur -- brrr.

21°C and cloudy today. At least it stopped raining.

With the extreme heat wave out west...Oregon, Washington and California, I would think the water temps will be more comfortable. The temperatures have been well over 100 degrees F.

Went swimming today... 20°C. Not bad at all. It was actually warm.

R183, wow -- the next time I'm at a So Cal beach later this week, I'll remind friends that we're wading in water colder than a Norwegian beach...

Water was even warmer today... 21°C acording to a website. I didn't swim today. It was cloudy (though still 27°C) and it looked like it was gonna start raining any minute.

Dear Norwegian Swimmer Guy,

Do you wear a bodysuit when you swim? That sounds cold as hell.

Also, you sound rather physically fit. Would you mind posting some nude pics? Thank you in advance.

The beaches in Florida are as warm as piss………I’ll take the Oregon coast ….thank you very much

When I took my Red Cross lifesaving (now called "lifeguarding") exam, the water was 59F and we were in it for an hour. No bodysuits then, either.

When my parents had a winter home on Florida's Gulf Coast, we'd happily go swimming in January when the water temperature was in the 70's. The locals would look at us, shake their heads, and mutter something like "stupid Yankees." They wouldn't swim until it was the temperature of bathwater.

Unfortunately the red tide makes it impossible to swim there now. Paddling through dead fish is no fun.

21°C (70°F) in the sea today. It was actually warm. Swam for 90 minutes. It was lovely.

No one cares, Norwegian.

I care, r190. Don't be rude. Norwegian is a friendly guy who likes to swim. Let him be.

Holy shit it's literally 23°C (73°F) in the sea today. That's a lot for Norway. It can get that hot after a heatwave, like the one we're having now. And the one day I don't go swimming! Lol. So typical.

With the way things are going, you'll be able to swim in Oregon beaches all year long.

It was actually 23°C (73°F) in the sea today. Very warm considering this is Norway. It's thanks to the current heatwave.

Hahaha, R71! My extended family had a cabin at Brereton Lake in the Whiteshell, not too far from Falcon Lake. Falcon is known for being more marshy than other lakes in the area which are mainly pre-Cambrian shield rock, so no leeches and warm enough for swimming, aside from West Hawk Lake which is super deep and always a bit chilly.

93 F in Boston at the moment with a water temperature of 62.6 F

83 F in Hyannis, 70 miles from Boston but on the south side of Cape Cod, with a water temperature of 70.5 F

Why is there NOT more Miami-like highrise condo development near New York's beaches? Even if they're shitty compared to Florida or Long Island, they're literally within a block or two of rail transit, so people could get their ocean view, casually walk to the beach whenever they felt like it, and still have a sane, easy commute to Manhattan.

From what I can discern from Google Earth, it's just a hodgepodge of shockingly cheap (even by outer-borough standards) single-family homes, and a few mediocre mid-rise apartment developments that are nothing special. As a Floridian, this blows my mind.