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