Have you been to a proper beach?

[Small_Fryz]

The fact that I have never seen snow got me thinking the other day. In my part of the world its not that uncommon for people to have never seen the stuff so I wondered if in other parts of the world it was just as uncommon for people to have seen a proper beach!

Everybody is Australia has pretty much been to the beach and can swim (unless they live in the outback which is hardly anyone), yet we don't have that many places to properly experience snow. In fact I think we have to go to the mountains or ski-resorts.

Anyway, I define a proper beach by the fact that the temperature is above 20+C (70F) and you can actually go and swim and not freeze your balls off. You have proper sand and some waves.

Anyway!! Discuss..

Is this just me being a silly Aussie? Do most people have the opportunity to do both?? Or only one...

 

[Beeblebrox237]

Well, I was going to say that I have been to a proper beach, but the water temperature was 15 degrees. I can, however, walk outside in the wintertime and often see snow.

 

[sesselpupser]

Being British, a proper beach for me is 90% rocks, 5% pebbles, 4% people and 1% sand which is only habitable for maybe a month every year.

Then again the beach in Polzeath is pretty stunning, cold sea and all but a beautiful place. I've got photos somewhere but I can't post them from my phone. Plenty of surfing going on there too.

 

[DG_Silva]

I live in the UK, it never actually gets to 20 degrees long enough to warm the water. Our nearest resort is Weston-Super-MudMare, the only place in the world where the difference between low tide and high tide is half a mile....

 

[Lizard]

I am another who comes from Britain.

I have got sick of snow and cold weather. You want to swap places?

The thing is the snow lasts for such a short time we can't enjoy it by building ski resorts. We just suffer cold weather.

 

[Northstar]

I'm fortunate to have both here in Minnesota, plenty of lakes and snow in the winter. I can even walk on water*!!!!


*So long as there is a foot of ice on it.

 

[CodeRedR51]

Last beach I went to was Ocean Beach in San Diego when I was out there for GT Academy.

Been to quite a few actually.

 

[terminator363]

Vancouver has half-ass beaches, but hey, they are still beaches. We also have mountains an hour away.

 

[Pagey279]

Both, depending on the British weather of course. We usually get some sort of snow, this year we already have.
And where I'm living right now (Chichester) the beach is only a 20 minute drive away, it's a nice one too, which you would expect on this part of the South coast. It will almost certainly be above 20 degrees at some point, but you will still have to sit in a jacuzzi for a week to coax everything back out again after venturing into the sea.

 

[ghskilla]

Being from California, yes.

 

[Michael88]

Austria, long cold winters, really hot summers and a crapton of easy accessible glaciers.
We don't have access to the mediterranean Sea but since Italy is our neighbor a proper beach is only a couple of hours away by car. Not that I'm even slightly tempted to go there as I find beaches dreadfully boring, and I hate the feeling of salt on my skin, I rather go hiking and camping thankyouverymuch.

Beaches I've been to: Portugal- Algarve and Italy - various places.

 

[Wilbur]

I've been to the redneck rivera way to many times! It's not proper by any means but I love the beaches on North Carolina coast.

Redneck Rivera is Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

 

[niky]

I live on a tropical island surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, one in an archipelago of tropical islands, 7,107, to be exact, but only at low tide, surrounded by that same Ocean.

I think the answer to that is obvious.

 

[Small_Fryz]

You are on the national Bobsled team?

 

[Liquid]

Why not combine the two?

This was a beach in Germany last winter.

 

[TB]

I'm fortunate to have both here in Minnesota, plenty of lakes and snow in the winter. I can even walk on water*!!!!

Indeed. As much as we bitch about the weather*, I do quite like the variety in available activities. 👍

* ND apparently holds the record for the largest high to low temperature extreme for non-mountainous states and, if memory serves, third overall!

 

[niky]

You are on the national Bobsled team?

See, why can't the make more sports movies like that? Instead, we get thirty or forty movies of Kevin Costner playing baseball.

-

Sorry, no go. My hair is long enough, but I'm not willing to kill it just to get cool dreads.

 

[W3H5]

I love a good beach, my favourite has to be Fishcomb Cove in Brixham, Devon, which is very little known. I used to visit here every year until I came to China. I miss this place:

But probably the best experience was on this beach in Phuket, Koh Phi Phi. I went here 3 years ago and absolutely loved it. Do recommend:

I love the beach.

I hate snow.

Though, my best experience of snow was this, Hailougou glacier, Luding County of Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Garze, because snow in London is pants. I trekked this 4 years ago and got dysentery from the glacial water :

 

[BongRipz]

 

[TB]

I trekked this 4 years ago and got dysentery from the glacial water

I didn't know there was a trail that went from Tibet to Oregon.

 

[otakukid96]

3.5 hours from the beach and 2.5 hours from the mountains. I can have either in decent time, depending on the season.

 

[Chris123]

Best I've been to are Great Yarmouth and the idle of white, so I doubt it lol, edit: isn't auto correct a b****, Isle of Wight is what I meant

 

[Prosthetic]

I'm 6 miles as the crow flies from a beach and a couple hours drive from Tahoe... /Californiaproblems

 

[Anathema]

About three hours from the Jersey Shoreline.

Been to Atlantic City, Wildwood, and Cape May - all before the hurricane hit, though.

Atlantic City's are alright, Wildwood's are the best of the three and Cape May is my favorite. No one's on it, and staying in a beachfront house is just... amazing. Perfect for fishing, pulled in a shark by accident once though.

 

[Small_Fryz]

Thats crazy!!

How warm is it in summer?

 

[GTMail]

I really can't believe how sheltered I am! It amazes me that some of you have never been to a proper beach. So my answer is yes, I even have another house right on the beach!

 

[Prosthetic]

Thats crazy!!

How warm is it in summer?

Its the midwest, hot as balls in the summer cold as a witches teet in the winter.

 

[Jay]

I was brought up by nice beaches, being Australian and all, as Dion pointed out. I only realised later by travelling to various overseas countries how many people have never seen a beach, or atleast a good beach.


On the flip side many people thought I was crazy when I was running around and diving in snow in late winter while on my travels.

 

[Grand Prix]

Vancouver has both beaches and easy access to snow. It isn't too far a drive up to Whistler for skiing / snowboarding.

 

[Slash]

You do not want to be around snow. Cold, gloomy, slippery, and everything in between. Living in it is a nightmare. 55-65mph car + deer + black ice = guaranteed accident.