What is IDEAL beach weather for you? Including SSTs? (snow, temperature, days)
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I don't like to go to the beach, or swim all that much. Beaches are just not my thing. However I do like to swim on occasion and do have some preferences in this area. Although I've never swam in an ocean or lake, just a pool, I imagine the feeling of warmth or cold would be similar.
I prefer water temperatures around 22C (nice and cool), although anything up to 27C is good. Above that is getting too warm and above 35C or so I can't exert myself at all without getting heat exhaustion. I imagine 20C and a bit lower wouldn't be much of a problem for me but I have no experience at 20C and lower. I normally prefer a low UV index, of 5 or lower, but if I'm trying to get a suntan anything up to 10 is fine. 11 or higher cooks my skin a bit too much. Whether I prefer it sunny or not depends on the air temperature - sun is no problem if it's 60's F and cooler. Above 70F or so it needs to be cloudy. As for air temperature, the colder the better. I can't put up with anything above 80F for swimming. I prefer low humidity and dew points, so no mugginess is allowed for my ideal day.
As for (non-iced over) beaches, I have a strong dislike for hot or warm beaches situated in those sort of climates. I wouldn't ever want to go to one of them. If I were to go to a beach, I would choose northern and subarctic beaches featuring cold water. Tofino, Alaska, and Maine feature the sort of beach I'd like, weather-wise, activity-wise, and material-wise (more rock or gravel as opposed to sand). I would prefer to stand and walk along the beach with a raincoat or other jacket witnessing the power of nature, rather than going around in skimpy clothing trying to keep from getting heat stroke as I would on warm/hot beaches (which is so much less dignified). For this sort of activity I would like vast, spectacular clouds, so that entails cloudy or mostly cloudy skies, huge waves crashing onto the rocks, strong winds, and preferably but not necessarily light to moderate precipitation. Temperatures for this would range between 25 and 60 Fahrenheit. A good storm-watching day in Tofino is an example of this in action.
This video is a good example of the sort of weather I'm talking about. The sort of landscape I'd like would be this or this.
Most people I know can't handle SST of 65 F (18 C) for very long. Maybe on a very hot day to run into the water (and come running out a few mins later - lol). Otherwise most people would be freezing in water of that temp. If you look close at places that have SST below even 70 F (21 C) in the USA (Middle/upper West Coast, New England, etc)...you'll see more people looking at the water....sitting on the beach...have their toes in the water...etc - than actually IN the water with their whole body. Air temps is a different story - even a cool day in the low 70's F one can enjoy the beach if the wind is not too strong.
Comfortable SST start for me at 75 - 77 F...and 80 (26 C) is even better, with 82 - 84 F perfect. Air temps of 82 - 88 F are perfect...below 75 F cool...and below 70 F might be tough to really enjoy the beach as such (laying out with shorts/T-shirt, sunning, ect)
Most conditions are acceptable if the waves are good.
I'm not really a beach person, but early in the evening, when the sun has lost it's bite is best. Above 20C/68F is good enough for me. The warmer the better.
I'm accustomed to cold water, despite my preference for warmer conditions. SSTs never exceed 16 C / 60 F here. Even on a hot summer day I need to go home straight away after swimming for an hour or so and take a long hot shower to warm up -- only then do I regain feeling in my fingers and toes!
The only time I've felt truly comfortable in the sea here was on one day when we hit 36 C / 97 F with clear skies. SST was still around 15 C / 59 F. The immediate coast was probably only around 30 C / 86 F but I imagine the SST by the coast (as opposed to open ocean) would have been closer to 20 C / 68 F.
I have also enjoyed swimming in the tropics. Nothing like going for a moonlit swim in 29 C / 85 F water in the middle of winter.
I actually don't like the idea of going to the beach on a 40C, UV rating of 14, just to cook in the sun. I get that people want to go in the water to cool down, but at those temps I'd rather be indoors.
My favourite time to go to the beach is actually when the sun is not directly overhead. Morning or evening on a balmy summer's day, especially with a nice sea breeze, is the best.
I also wouldn't want to be at the beach when it's 40 C/104 F because the walk through the dry sand would be brutal. However I would still hate to be inside on "such a nice day." At 40 C/104 F, my prefered spot would be a garden-like setting with shady and sunny patches.
My favourite time to be at the beach is when the sun is overhead. The heat of the sun penetrates the water more. There is also a dramatic difference in how much light goes into the water when the sun is high. I actually mildly-dislike a sun angle below 45-50 degrees for being at the beach.
My preferences are highly-skewed depending on sunshine intensity.
Living in Western Australia for a year has allowed me to discover this.
Assuming it's summertime: (max daily sun angle of at least 60 degrees)
Clear skies + high angle sunshine + clear water:
SST's: 24+ C/ 75+ F... but 21 C/70 F is still okay
Air: 26+ C/78+ F... but 22 C/72 F is still okay
^^In SE Asia the SST's are usually between 28-30C still perfectly comfortable and cooling without the initial cold feeling you often get swimming in the oceans around southern Australia.
^^In SE Asia the SST's are usually between 28-30C still perfectly comfortable and cooling without the initial cold feeling you often get swimming in the oceans around southern Australia.
Well in summer, I only have a shower with cold water, the warm tap is not running!
But I've been to Southern California's coast in a 40C dry day and the SST was at 21/C and it felt good jumping in and out if the water.. Such a unique feeling..
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