- 01 9.9 30A, FLA perfect beach day 77° air 79° water 1.0 ft surf 8 mph 0% rain cool air (77F high)
- 02 9.8 Gulf Shores & Orange Beach, ALA perfect beach day 76° air 76° water 1.3 ft surf 8 mph 0% rain cool air (76F high)
- 03 9.5 Destin, FLA perfect beach day 75° air 77° water 1.1 ft surf 10 mph 0% rain cool air (75F high), breezy (10 mph)
- 04 8.1 Myrtle Beach, SCA good beach day 71° air 69° water 1.8 ft surf 10 mph 0% rain cool air (71F high), brisk water (69F)
- 05 8.0 Hilton Head Island, SCA good beach day 70° air 71° water 1.6 ft surf 10 mph 0% rain cool air (70F high), brisk water (71F), breezy (10 mph)
- 06 3.8 Ocean City, MDNot much of a beach day 64° air 63° water 5.7 ft surf 15 mph 0% rain cool air (64F high), cold water (63F), breezy (15 mph), rough surf (5.7 ft)
- 07 3.7 Outer Banks, NCNot much of a beach day 65° air 64° water 6.4 ft surf 16 mph 0% rain cool air (65F high), cold water (64F), breezy (16 mph), rough surf (6.4 ft)
- 08 3.6 Rehoboth & Bethany, DENot much of a beach day 63° air 63° water 5.1 ft surf 16 mph 0% rain cool air (63F high), cold water (63F), breezy (16 mph), rough surf (5.1 ft)
- 09 0.0 Martha's Vineyard, MANot much of a beach day 55° air 58° water 4.1 ft surf 26 mph 42% rain cool air (55F high), cold water (58F), windy (26 mph gusts), 42% chance of rain, rough surf (4.1 ft)
- 10 0.0 Nantucket, MANot much of a beach day 54° air 56° water 7.8 ft surf 31 mph 96% rain cool air (54F high), cold water (56F), windy (31 mph gusts), 96% chance of rain, rough surf (7.8 ft)
Ten points, and the day loses them honestly.
Every shore starts at 10. Cool air below 78°F costs half a point per four degrees (up to three); above 92°F the same rule applies in the other direction (up to two). Water under 72°F costs a point, under 65°F two. Wind over 10 mph costs up to a point and a half, over 18 mph two and a half. The chance of rain costs up to three points in proportion. Surf over two feet costs half a point, over four feet a point and a half. The result is rounded to a tenth and capped between 0 and 10.
Forecast, UV, sunrise and sunset come from Open-Meteo's daily model for a point on the beach itself; wave height and sea-surface temperature from Open-Meteo's marine model for the same point; tide times and heights from the nearest open-coast NOAA CO-OPS prediction station. Everything refreshes with the morning rebuild. It is a guide to the day, not a promise, and it says nothing about crowds, jellyfish, or the line at the coffee place.