Beach yourself on America's best shores

Maui's Kaanapali beach ranked third on the 11th-annual "America's Best Beaches" list     MAP American Best Beaches     GALLERY Best Beaches     INTERACTIVITY Beach Drinks     QUICKVOTE What's your favorite beach activity? Lounging under an umbrella Combing the beach for shells Swimming or surfing Sipping pina coladas View Results   Tips for staying safe in the sun •  Wear wide brimmed hats, tightly woven canvas is best; straw lets in too much sun •  Cover exposed body parts with loose-fitting lightweight clothing with sleeves or long pants •  Seek shade when outdoors and avoid the sun during its strongest hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. •  Protect your eyes with sunglasses •  Use sunscreen with a high SPF; the higher the number, the more protection it offers •  Cover other vulnerable parts of the body such as lips and scalp with sunscreen •  Know the risk factors for skin cancer: fair skin, personal history of skin cancer, freckles and chronic sun exposure Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Related Resources Dr. Beach.org Centers for Disease Control and Prevention -- Choose Your Cover Cape Cod National Seashore -- Coast Guard Beach Ocracoke Village, Ocracoke Island Poipu Beach Resort Association

By Christy Oglesby
CNN

(CNN) -- Noise. Gnats. Nuclear plants. You don't need an expert to tell you that any one of those can ruin a beach experience. But it sure helps if someone's available to determine which shores have more than their share of nuisances.

And in Stephen "Dr. Beach" Leatherman's annual compilation of "America's Best Beaches," travelers get an environmental scientist's take on how the nation's shores rate for annoyances and amenities.

Leatherman, a professor at Florida International University in Miami, Florida, said he knows what makes for a good time on the shore.

"I see about a hundred beaches a year," he said. "My research is on beaches. I go to conferences on beaches, and I vacation on beaches."

And for those he might not get to personally, he has "coastal contacts," such as beach managers, to let him know the latest raves about the waves.

He uses 50 criteria to evaluate, or diagnose, his "patients." The criteria fall into three broad categories: physical factors (sand softness, water temperature, rip currents); biological factors (pests, water pollution); and human-use factors (litter, urbanism, noise).

Hawaii on top

For the sixth consecutive year, a Hawaiian beach tops the list of 20 beaches. Poipu Beach Park, which rated number one, has been a mainstay on the list since Leatherman began the rating system 11 years ago. Five other beaches from that state also made the list. Florida had the second largest number of winners, with five beaches meeting Leatherman's standards.

Cyndy Emrich, the assistant park manager at the No.2 rated St. Joseph Peninsula State Park on the Florida Panhandle, had hoped the beach would move to the top slot this year, but was pleased nonetheless about its placement.

"Our beaches are very pristine, we don't put anything on our beaches," Emrich said.

Beach visitors have access to camping facilities adjacent to the water, as well as a seven-mile wilderness area, two nature trails, limited canoe rental, picnic areas and a boat launch.

Ocracoke Island, a three-mile-wide island off North Carolina's coast in the Outer Banks, nabbed the No. 8 spot on the list.

Donna Boor, owner of Sandy Shores Realty in Ocracoke, has lived there all her life. "We have never had to close the beach for pollution, only rip tides," she said. "Pollution is not a problem," and neither is over development -- one of Leatherman's criteria.

"We have no development on the beach," said Boor, who touts the village's charm. "We still drive on the beach. Our main street is a sandy, one-lane road."

In the summer, the Ocracoke's daily population swells to about 15,000 people, she said, but during the winter, there are only about 750 residents.

Coast Guard Beach near Cape Cod, Massachusetts, is likely popular because "it's a long beach, and it's fairly deep from the ocean to the dune," said Kevin FitzGerald, chief ranger at the Cape Cod National Seashore Center, which is responsible for managing the beach.

Coast Guard Beach, which is about 20 miles from where the Pilgrim's landed, ranked 14th on the list. Although a marsh is nearby, pests are not a problem, he said, because the water is not stagnant.

FitzGerald said there is "plenty of soft sand and not a lot of rocks. The waves are good, and they are good for body surfing."

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