| 
| 
|
| during vacation/holiday season | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| | | | | | |
| Beach width at low tide | <10 m
narrow | 10-30 m | 30-60 m | 60-100 m | >100 m
wide |
| | | | | | |
| Beach material | cobbles | sand/cobbles | coarse sand | ----- | fine sand |
| | | | | | |
| Beach condition or variation | erosional | ----- | stable | ----- | depositional |
| | | | | | |
| Sand softness | hard | ----- | ----- | ----- | soft |
| | | | | | |
| Water temperature | cold/hot | ----- | ----- | ----- | warm
(70°-80° F) |
| | | | | | |
| Air temperature (midday) | < 60° F
> 100° F | ----- | ----- | ----- | 80°-90° F |
| | | | | | |
| Number of sunny days | few | ----- | ----- | ----- | many |
| | | | | | |
| Amount of rain | large | ----- | ----- | ----- | little |
| | | | | | |
| Wind speeds | high | ----- | ----- | ----- | low |
| | | | | | |
| Size of breaking waves | high/dangerous | ----- | ----- | ----- | low/safe |
| | | | | | |
| Number of waves/width of breaker zone | none | 1-2 | 3-4 | 5 | 6+ |
| | | | | | |
| Beach slope (underwater) | steeply sloping bottom | ----- | ----- | ----- | gently sloping bottom |
| | | | | | |
| Longshore current | strong | ----- | ----- | ----- | weak |
| | | | | | |
| Rip currents | often | ----- | ----- | ----- | never |
| | | | | | |
| Color of sand | gray | black | brown | light tan | white/pink |
| | | | | | |
| Tidal range | large (>4 m) | 3-4 m | 2-3 m | 1-2 m | small (<1 m) |
| | | | | | |
| Beach shape | straight | ----- | ----- | ----- | pocket |
| | | | | | |
| Bathing area bottom conditions | rocky, cobbles, mud | ----- | ----- | ----- | fine sand |
| | | | | | |
| Turbidity | turbid | ----- | ----- | ----- | clear |
| | | | | | |
| Water color | gray | ----- | ----- | ----- | aquablue |
| | | | | | |
| Floating/suspended human material (sewage, scum) | plentiful | ----- | ----- | ----- | none |
| | | | | | |
| Algae in water amount | infested | ----- | ----- | ----- | absent |
| | | | | | |
| Red tide | common | ----- | ----- | ----- | none |
| | | | | | |
| Smell (eg, seaweed, rotting fish) | bad odors | ----- | ----- | ----- | fresh salty air |
| | | | | | |
| Wildlife (eg, shore birds) | none | ----- | ----- | ----- | plentiful |
| | | | | | |
| Pests (biting flies, ticks, mosquitoes) | common | ----- | ----- | ----- | no problem |
| | | | | | |
| Presence of sewarage/runoff outfall lines on/across the beach | several | ----- | ----- | ----- | none |
| | | | | | |
| Seaweed/jellyfish on the beach | many | ----- | ----- | ----- | none |
| | | | | | |
| Trash and litter (paper, plastics, nets, ropes, planks) | common | ----- | ----- | ----- | rare |
| | | | | | |
| Oil and tar balls | common | ----- | ----- | ----- | none |
| | | | | | |
| Glass and rubble | common | ----- | ----- | ----- | rare |
| | | | | | |
| Views and vistas - Local scene | obstructed | ----- | ----- | ----- | unobstructed |
| | | | | | |
| Views and vistas - Far vista | confined | ----- | ----- | ----- | unconfined |
| | | | | | |
| Buildings/Urbanism | overdeveloped | ----- | ----- | ----- | pristine/wild |
| | | | | | |
| Access | limited | ----- | ----- | ----- | good |
| | | | | | |
| Misfits (nuclear power station, offshore dumping) | present | ----- | ----- | ----- | none |
| | | | | | |
| Vegetation (nearby). Trees, sand dunes | none | ----- | ----- | ----- | many |
| | | | | | |
| Well-kept grounds/promenades or natural environment | no | ----- | ----- | ----- | yes |
| | | | | | |
| Amenities (showers, chairs, bars, etc) | none | ----- | ----- | ----- | some |
| | | | | | |
| Lifeguards | none | ----- | ----- | ----- | present |
| | | | | | |
| Safety record (deaths) | some | ----- | ----- | ----- | none |
| | | | | | |
| Domestic animals (eg, dogs) | many | ----- | ----- | ----- | none |
| | | | | | |
| Noise (cars, nearby highways, trains) | much | ----- | ----- | ----- | little |
| | | | | | |
| Noise (eg, crowds, radios) | much | ----- | ----- | ----- | little |
| | | | | | |
| Presence of seawalls, riprap, concrete/rubble | large amount | ----- | ----- | ----- | none |
| | | | | | |
| Intensity of beach use | overcrowded | ----- | ----- | ----- | ample open space |
| | | | | | |
| Off-road vehicles | common | ----- | ----- | ----- | none |
| | | | | | |
| Floatables in water (garbage, toilet paper) | common | ----- | ----- | ----- | none |
| | | | | | |
| Public safety (eg, pickpockets, crime) | common | ----- | ----- | ----- | rare |
| | | | | | |
| Competition for free use of beach (eg, fishermen, boaters, water-skiers) | many | ----- | ----- | ----- | few |
