Why East Coast beaches are better than west coast beaches?

The waves that come from the Atlantic Ocean are significantly higher, so if you're looking to go surfing – the East coast is better, he explained. The wind on the East coast drives the waves, Dr. Beach said, leading to better surf and a cool breeze, too. The East coast also has bigger sand dunes than the West, he said.



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The East Coast has more humid weather during the summer. It may be hot, but it is difficult to be at the beach when it is humid and sticky. Beaches on the West Coast have rougher sand with more rocks when comparing it to sand on the East Coast which is very fine and smooth.

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We'd argue that most of the country's best stretches of sand are actually along the Atlantic Ocean, and a few of them even offer clear water and white sand to rival anything you'd find on a Caribbean vacation. Here, we've rounded up 40 of the best beaches on the East Coast so you can plan your getaway accordingly.

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It's a process known as upwelling, which plays out along the entire U.S. Pacific coast. Upwelling explains why water temperatures along California, Oregon and Washington beaches are much cooler than similar-latitude beaches in the East.

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The East Coast has more humid weather during the summer. It may be hot, but it is difficult to be at the beach when it is humid and sticky. Beaches on the West Coast have rougher sand with more rocks when comparing it to sand on the East Coast which is very fine and smooth.

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Distance from sediment sources: Beaches located far from major sediment sources, such as rivers or coastal erosion, tend to have clearer water. Sediments suspended in the water, including particles like sand, silt, or clay, can decrease water clarity and make it appear murky.

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The movement of Alaskan and northern ocean currents southward down the west coast results in much cooler ocean temperatures than at comparable latitudes on the east coast of the United States, where ocean currents come from the Caribbean and tropical Atlantic.

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Sediment plays a big factor in water color. Smaller, more fine sand particles can make water murkier since they are easily agitated. In clear water, sediments may be coarser and tougher to stir up since they are heavier and made of shell pieces and dead coral chunks.

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And since the world spins west, the waves roll east, making the seas generally rougher, with more waves and rip tides and the like, on the west coast. So surfers having something to surf on/in. East Coast beaches, in the summer, have warm enough water to swim in. From New England to Florida.

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The current runs through northern parts of the Pacific Ocean and cools off. It then runs down the west coast of North America making the beaches cooler. On the east coast of North America, the Atlantic coastline current is basically warm water on it way north.

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Along the east coast of the U.S., the Gulf Stream carries warm water from the equatorial region to the North Atlantic Ocean, keeping the southeast coast relatively warm.

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The Weddell Sea has been claimed by scientists to have the clearest waters of any ocean in the world. Described by a historian as “the most wretched and dismal region on earth”, due to the flash freezes that caught Shackleton's ship, its clarity is only belied by the sheer depth of the ocean below.

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