PHYSICAL
FACTORS
(relate to the
vacation/holiday season) |
CATEGORIES |
| 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
| 1.
Beach width at low tide |
<10
m
narrow |
10-30
m |
30-60
m |
60-100
m |
>100
m
wide |
| 2.
Beach material |
cobbles |
sand/cobbles |
coarse
sand |
----- |
fine
sand |
| 3.
Beach condition or variation |
erosional |
----- |
stable |
----- |
depositional |
| 4.
Sand softness |
hard |
----- |
----- |
----- |
soft |
| 5.
Water temperature |
cold/hot |
----- |
----- |
----- |
warm
(70°-80° F) |
| 6.
Air temperature (midday) |
<
60° F
> 100° F |
----- |
----- |
----- |
80°-90°
F |
| 7.
Number of sunny days |
few |
----- |
----- |
----- |
many |
| 8.
Amount of rain |
large |
----- |
----- |
----- |
little |
| 9.
Wind speeds |
high |
----- |
----- |
----- |
low |
| 10.Size
of breaking waves |
high/dangerous |
----- |
----- |
----- |
low/safe |
| 11.
Number of waves/width of breaker zone |
none |
1-2 |
3-4 |
5 |
6+ |
| 12.
Beach slope (underwater) |
steeply
sloping bottom |
----- |
----- |
----- |
gently
sloping bottom |
| 13.
Longshore current |
strong |
----- |
----- |
----- |
weak |
| 14.
Rip currents |
often |
----- |
----- |
----- |
never |
| 15.
Color of sand |
gray |
black |
brown |
light
tan |
white/pink |
| 16.
Tidal range |
large
(>4 m) |
3-4
m |
2-3
m |
1-2
m |
small
(<1 m) |
| 17.
Beach shape |
straight |
----- |
----- |
----- |
pocket |
| 18.
Bathing area bottom conditions |
rocky,
cobbles, mud |
----- |
----- |
----- |
fine
sand |
| 19.
Turbidity |
turbid |
----- |
----- |
----- |
clear |
| 20.
Water color |
gray |
----- |
----- |
----- |
aquablue |
| 21.
Floating/suspended human material (sewage, scum) |
plentiful |
----- |
----- |
----- |
none |
| 22.
Algae in water amount |
infested |
----- |
----- |
----- |
absent |
| 23.
Red tide |
common |
----- |
----- |
----- |
none |
| 24.
Smell (eg, seaweed, rotting fish) |
bad
odors |
----- |
----- |
----- |
fresh
salty air |
| 25.
Wildlife (eg, shore birds) |
none |
----- |
----- |
----- |
plentiful |
| 26.
Pests (biting flies, ticks, mosquitoes) |
common |
----- |
----- |
----- |
no
problem |
| 27.
Presence of sewarage/runoff outfall lines on/across the beach |
several |
----- |
----- |
----- |
none |
| 28.
Seaweed/jellyfish on the beach |
many |
----- |
----- |
----- |
none |
| 29.
Trash and litter(paper, plastics, nets, ropes, planks) |
common |
----- |
----- |
----- |
rare |
| 30.
Oil and tar balls |
common |
----- |
----- |
----- |
none |
| 31.
Glass and rubble |
common |
----- |
----- |
----- |
rare |
| 32.
Views and vistas - Local scene |
obstructed |
----- |
----- |
----- |
unobstructed |
| 33.
Views and vistas - Far vista |
confined |
----- |
----- |
----- |
unconfined |
| 34.
Buildings/Urbanism |
overdeveloped |
----- |
----- |
----- |
pristine/wild |
| 35.
Access |
limited |
----- |
----- |
----- |
good |
| 36.
Misfits (nuclear power station, offshore dumping) |
present |
----- |
----- |
----- |
none |
| 37.
Vegetation (nearby). Trees, sand dunes |
none |
----- |
----- |
----- |
many |
| 38.
Well-kept grounds/promenades or natural environment |
no |
----- |
----- |
----- |
yes |
| 39.
Amenities (showers, chairs, bars, etc) |
none |
----- |
----- |
----- |
some |
| 40.
Lifeguards |
none |
----- |
----- |
----- |
present |
| 41.
Safety record (deaths) |
some |
----- |
----- |
----- |
none |
| 42.
Domestic animals (eg, dogs) |
many |
----- |
----- |
----- |
none |
| 43.
Noise (cars, nearby highways, trains) |
much |
----- |
----- |
----- |
little |
| 44.
Noise (eg, crowds, radios) |
much |
----- |
----- |
----- |
little |
| 45.
Presence of seawalls, riprap, concrete/rubble |
large
amount |
----- |
----- |
----- |
none |
| 46.
Intensity of beach use |
overcrowded |
----- |
----- |
----- |
ample
open space |
| 47.
Off-road vehicles |
common |
----- |
----- |
----- |
none |
| 48.
Floatables in water (garbage, toilet paper) |
common |
----- |
----- |
----- |
none |
| 49.
Public safety (eg, pickpockets, crime) |
common |
----- |
----- |
----- |
rare |
| 50.
Competition for free use of beach (eg, fishermen, boaters, water-skiers) |
many |
----- |
----- |
----- |
few |