Florida's Best Beaches ‘Dr. Beach’ Names 8 Florida Beaches as Best in Nation |
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(May 22, 1998) -- An environmental studies professor has named eight Florida beaches to his annual top-20 beaches in the United States list. Stephen Leatherman, who teaches at Florida International University in Miami, has issued his report as "Dr. Beach" for the past eight years.
Seven of the eight Florida "best of the best" are returnees from the 1997 list. Dropping off the list are two Florida beaches: Clam Pass Park and Sand Key Park, which ranked 19 and 20 last year, respectively. New to the list from the Sunshine State is Crescent Beach, in Siesta Key (Sarasota), which ranks 17. The beaches are ranked on 50 criteria, including lifeguard protection, wave size, sand softness and amenities, such as nearby hotels and restaurants. Beaches previously ranked as number one in the country are exluded from Leatherman's survey for 10 years (see table below for previous winners). The list, with 1997 rankings in parentheses:
1. (2) Kailua Beach Park, Hawaii 7. (6) Cape Florida State Recreation Area, Key Biscayne 8. (7) Hanalei Beach, Hawaii 9. (9) Fort Desoto Park, St. Petersburg, Fla. 10. (12) St. George Island State Park, East Point, Fla. 11. (11) Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Recreation Area, Naples, Fla. 12. (14) Ocracoke Island, N.C. 13. (15) East Hampton Beach, N.Y. 14. (16) Westhampton Beach, N.Y. 15. (13) Perdido Key State Recreation Area, Pensacola, Fla. 16. Cape Hatteras, N.C. 17. Crescent Beach, Siesta Key, Sarasota, Fla. 18. (18) Coast Guard Beach, Mass. 19. Children's Beach, La Jolla, Calif. 20. Poipu Beach Park, Hawaii |
PREVIOUS NATIONAL
WINNERS (excluded from the survey for 10 years) |
1991 Kapalua, Hawaii |
1992 Bahia Honda, Fla. |
1993 Hapuna, Hawaii |
1994 Grayton Beach, Fla. |
1995 St. Andrews, Fla. |
1996 Lanikai Beach, Hawaii |
1997 Hulopoe, Hawaii |
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