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| during vacation/holiday season | 1 | 2 | 3 | 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 | ----- | fine sand |
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| Beach condition or variation | erosional | ----- | stable | ----- | depositional |
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| Sand softness | hard | ----- | ----- | ----- | soft |
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| Water temperature | cold/hot | ----- | ----- | ----- | warm
(70°-80° F) |
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| Air temperature (midday) | < 60° F
> 100° F | ----- | ----- | ----- | 80°-90° F |
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| Number of sunny days | few | ----- | ----- | ----- | many |
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| Amount of rain | large | ----- | ----- | ----- | little |
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| Wind speeds | high | ----- | ----- | ----- | low |
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| Size of breaking waves | high/dangerous | ----- | ----- | ----- | 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 | ----- | ----- | ----- | gently sloping bottom |
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| Longshore current | strong | ----- | ----- | ----- | weak |
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| Rip currents | often | ----- | ----- | ----- | 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 | ----- | ----- | ----- | pocket |
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| Bathing area bottom conditions | rocky, cobbles, mud | ----- | ----- | ----- | fine sand |
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| Turbidity | turbid | ----- | ----- | ----- | clear |
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| Water color | gray | ----- | ----- | ----- | aquablue |
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| Floating/suspended human material (sewage, scum) | plentiful | ----- | ----- | ----- | none |
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| Algae in water amount | infested | ----- | ----- | ----- | absent |
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| Red tide | common | ----- | ----- | ----- | none |
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| Smell (eg, seaweed, rotting fish) | bad odors | ----- | ----- | ----- | fresh salty air |
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| Wildlife (eg, shore birds) | none | ----- | ----- | ----- | plentiful |
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| Pests (biting flies, ticks, mosquitoes) | common | ----- | ----- | ----- | no problem |
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| Presence of sewarage/runoff outfall lines on/across the beach | several | ----- | ----- | ----- | none |
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| Seaweed/jellyfish on the beach | many | ----- | ----- | ----- | none |
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| Trash and litter (paper, plastics, nets, ropes, planks) | common | ----- | ----- | ----- | rare |
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| Oil and tar balls | common | ----- | ----- | ----- | none |
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| Glass and rubble | common | ----- | ----- | ----- | rare |
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| Views and vistas - Local scene | obstructed | ----- | ----- | ----- | unobstructed |
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| Views and vistas - Far vista | confined | ----- | ----- | ----- | unconfined |
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| Buildings/Urbanism | overdeveloped | ----- | ----- | ----- | pristine/wild |
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| Access | limited | ----- | ----- | ----- | good |
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| Misfits (nuclear power station, offshore dumping) | present | ----- | ----- | ----- | none |
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| Vegetation (nearby). Trees, sand dunes | none | ----- | ----- | ----- | many |
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| Well-kept grounds/promenades or natural environment | no | ----- | ----- | ----- | yes |
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| Amenities (showers, chairs, bars, etc) | none | ----- | ----- | ----- | some |
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| Lifeguards | none | ----- | ----- | ----- | present |
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| Safety record (deaths) | some | ----- | ----- | ----- | none |
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| Domestic animals (eg, dogs) | many | ----- | ----- | ----- | none |
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| Noise (cars, nearby highways, trains) | much | ----- | ----- | ----- | little |
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| Noise (eg, crowds, radios) | much | ----- | ----- | ----- | little |
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| Presence of seawalls, riprap, concrete/rubble | large amount | ----- | ----- | ----- | none |
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| Intensity of beach use | overcrowded | ----- | ----- | ----- | ample open space |
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| Off-road vehicles | common | ----- | ----- | ----- | none |
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| Floatables in water (garbage, toilet paper) | common | ----- | ----- | ----- | none |
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| Public safety (eg, pickpockets, crime) | common | ----- | ----- | ----- | rare |
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| Competition for free use of beach (eg, fishermen, boaters, water-skiers) | many | ----- | ----- | ----- | few |
