LA beaches vs. Florida?! (Los Angeles, San Diego: statistics, move to, beach)

[GrooveMerchant]

Folks, I'm thinking of a move to the LA area, get involved in the music scene, work a day job, hit the beach, and later maybe ski/bike around Big Bear or Lake Arrowhead. My friend from the midwest just trucked his parents to Bradenton, FL and he's starting to talk up Fort Meyers. I like to snorkel, loved the Keys when I was there. LA has better surf, but colder water, not to mention larger sharks! Any thoughts on FL vs. LA? I could see getting a cheap boat in FL to snorkel off, for LA I wouldn't want to mess with the boat where the White sharks are larger than the craft I'd be on. My bud may move to LA in a year or two, but wants to start in FL.

[californio sur]

I am familiar with both state's beaches especially around Miami and from San Diego to Los Angeles. Both have nice sandy broad beaches with plenty of room to play sports like volleyball or touch football. Sometimes the lifeguards won't allow soft ball games if the beach is a bit crowded. The waves in Florida are a fraction the size of the surf in California. That is one huge drawback. But it is easy swimming like being in a large lake in Florida. On the other hand, water temperatures are vastly warmer in Florida and rarely drop below 70F in south Florida. It is just barely 70F right now in the warmest beaches in SoCal and rarely exceeds 75F during summer [the rest of the year water temps are in the 60's or even colder]. In Florida water temps right now are around 90F so it is perfectly comfortable for diving.

There have been shark attacks in both Florida and California but they are quite rare.

[SoCal35]

Shark attacks are rare in both places but MORE COMMON in Florida.

The Florida Museum of Natural History did an inventory of "unprovoked" shark attacks between 1926 and 2007:

Florida: 577 total attacks (13 fatal)
California: 113 (15 fatal)

Global shark attack maps & statistics - Travel - LATimes.com


That said, I do NOT think there has ever been a fatal shark attack in LA County; however, in 2008 there was a fatal attack in San Diego County (Solana Beach).

As for surfing...northern LA County is a surfer's paradise (except for the crowds at peak times). Check this link for a good description of places like County Line or Pt. Dume. It is quite the opposite of LA's urban sprawl.....wide sandy beaches framed by majestic mountains. And some very good surf spots.

SURFLINE.COM | Surf Travel and Surfing Trip Guides | North Los Angeles

[californio sur]

Originally Posted by SoCal35

Shark attacks are rare in both places but MORE COMMON in Florida.

The Florida Museum of Natural History did an inventory of "unprovoked" shark attacks between 1926 and 2007:

Florida: 577 total attacks (13 fatal)
California: 113 (15 fatal)

Global shark attack maps & statistics - Travel - LATimes.com


That said, I do NOT think there has ever been a fatal shark attack in LA County; however, in 2008 there was a fatal attack in San Diego County (Solana Beach).

As for surfing...northern LA County is a surfer's paradise (except for the crowds at peak times). Check this link for a good description of places like County Line or Pt. Dume. It is quite the opposite of LA's urban sprawl.....wide sandy beaches framed by majestic mountains. And some very good surf spots.

SURFLINE.COM | Surf Travel and Surfing Trip Guides | North Los Angeles

Thanks for presenting the shark data. Strange that California has less than a third the number of shark attacks compared to Florida but has more fatalities. I remember when a woman was swimming off Avila beach [near San Luis Obispo] when a shark bit off half of her body. She died of shock before reaching the beach. Isn't that horrible? Sometimes I swim at night just for the thrill of it but always get the creepy feeling that a shark might be around and I can't see it.

[SoCal35]

Originally Posted by californio sur

Thanks for presenting the shark data. Strange that California has less than a third the number of shark attacks compared to Florida but has more fatalities. I remember when a woman was swimming off Avila beach [near San Luis Obispo] when a shark bit off half of her body. She died of shock before reaching the beach. Isn't that horrible? Sometimes I swim at night just for the thrill of it but always get the creepy feeling that a shark might be around and I can't see it.

I think the difference in fatalities is we get the Great Whites and Fla. gets smaller sharks....one bite from a large Great White would be me in shock for sure!!

The other thing about the shark data is there is no adjustment....either for population or miles of coastline to normalize the data between states.

Yeah, sharks are interesting creatures but I'd NEVER want to encounter one. Dolphins on the other hand are a man's best friend (at least in the ocean).

[californio sur]

I know this thread is not just about sharks but I found the article on the woman who was killed by a great white shark. She was swimming around sea lions so that was another mistake. 4 lifeguards risked all in bid to save shark attack victim - SFGate

I've seen dolphins many times especially from the boat that runs from San Pedro to Catalina Island. Have you ever seen flying fish? They jump right out of the water when chased by predator fish.

[GrooveMerchant]

Yes, White sharks may keep me out of the water. It's a bummer around such great surf. I'm surprised there haven't been more attacks in the LA area. I'm glad, just surprised. They like the cooler water and deeper attack options, plus seals. But Florida has the Bull sharks, also hefty animals. This is pretty cool:


YouTube - Diving Egmont agian

[BRinSM]

Originally Posted by californio sur

It is just barely 70F right now in the warmest beaches in SoCal and rarely exceeds 75F during summer [the rest of the year water temps are in the 60's or even colder].

I think you meant that the water temp is barely 60F right now at the warmest beaches in SoCal. The water is still very cold and you should have a full wetsuit if you plan on surfing/swimming in the ocean any time soon.

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

Here are the statistics from 2000 till 2010 for fatal shark attacks on humans and the state where the attack took place.

2000: 1 death in Florida

2001: 3 deaths. 1 in Florida, 1 in Virgina, and 1 in North Carolina

2002: No deatha

2003: 1 death in California

2004: 3 deaths, 1 in California, 2 in Hawaii

2005: 1 death in Florida

2006: No deaths

2007: No deaths

2008: 1 death in California

2009: 1 death in North Carolina

2010: 1 death in Florida

My thoughts are if you are concerned about shark attacks maybe you would be more concerned with driving a car. More deaths happen from people on the way to the beach than have ever been caused by a shark attack.

And the water is very cold here in California. I use a wet suit all the time, summer or winter. Have this thing about getting numb.

[SoCal35]

I have to agree that shark attacks are the LEAST of your concerns. Although it is an interesting topic.

I have spent considerable time in Fla.....from Miami, the Keys, Captiva Island (gulf side), Destin, etc.

I think you nailed it in your OP:

Fla. Beaches: Advantages
1. Warm water
2. White Sand beaches in many places
3. Water color around Miami/the Keys/and Gulf Coast is more beautiful
4. Better snorkeling/scuba...I am thinking here of the Keys. That said, there are some divers that would give So.Calif. the edge with Catalina Island, etc. I prefer warm water so I give the edge to Fla.


So.Calif Beaches: Advantages
1. Very good surfing spots
2. Very beautiful, scenic areas with mountains juxtaposed with the ocean.
3. Less bugs, Less humidity...even on the beach.