White sand beach recommendations...

[arcenite]

really? it's hard to imagine clean shores in the continental US

I've been to Pensacola FL and it's beautiful there. I want to move there, actually :awe:

 

[Atomic Playboy]

The best white sand beach I ever went to was in the Galapagos. It was a long expanse of sand, not unlike Waikiki, but completely devoid of people. It stretched along a bay that looked out into the Pacific. Sea lions everywhere. I went for a swim and some blue footed boobies started diving into the water about 10 feet away from me (boobies hunt by diving into the water from about 10 yards in the air straight down, so it's fairly impressive to see from below). Then I got back to the beach and a sea lion cow was on my towel.

That was a badass trip. I highly recommend it. Not cheap though...

 

[kage69]

Anywhere between Pensacola and Panama City Florida will make you happy. Lived in the area for a number of years and miss those beaches very much. Good times. In the off season you can pretty much treat it as a nude beach. Beach nooky is easy.

Not anywhere near as corporate, crowded or dirty as say, Daytona - although that could start to change. Probably some of the best beach front areas this side of Australia, and maybe certain choice locations in the Caribbean.

Pensacola Beach hosts some kind of Fire Island-esque gathering of the Fabulous in the spring though, which can turn off even the most tolerant of straight beach lovers. You've been warned!

 

[tfinch2]

Bahia Honda State Park

 

[Crusty]

You must have never been there, Waikiki is by far the worst beach ever in the history of beaches.

The sand is hard and gravel like. There are cigarette butts EVERYWHERE. There is a "rock" like bottom below the sand that you drag your feet on when you walk out intot he ocean (my feet were bloody and bleeding after about an hour). There are surfers everywhere so its quite dangerous also with those guys whizzing by. Also, as you can see from the pic, the incline into the ocean is steep and there is little sand.

How do you think I took the picture?

 

[BoomerD]

Just remember the next time you're walking on one of those beautiful white coral sand beaches...you're walking on fish poop.

Yep, most of that beautiful white coral sand is the result of parrot fish and a few others that eat the coral and poop out white sand...

I've seen it numerous time while snorkeling..."crunch, crunch, crunch"...out comes a stream of white sand. :biggrin:

 

[Crusty]

Just remember the next time you're walking on one of those beautiful white coral sand beaches...you're walking on fish poop.

Yep, most of that beautiful white coral sand is the result of parrot fish and a few others that eat the coral and poop out white sand...

I've seen it numerous time while snorkeling..."crunch, crunch, crunch"...out comes a stream of white sand. :biggrin:

Parrot fish are bizarre... when they sleep they put a giant pouch of mucus around them, it almost looks like a jellyfish surrounding the whole fish.

 

[BoomerD]

Parrot fish are bizarre... when they sleep they put a giant pouch of mucus around them, it almost looks like a jellyfish surrounding the whole fish.

Yeah, their "cocoon" is pretty cool.

Amazing animals...and hella pretty colors, but the fuckers will bite.

I've known a few people with large saltwater tanks who had parrotfish and have seen some of the scars left by an occasional "playful nip."

 

[Crusty]

Yeah, their "cocoon" is pretty cool.

Amazing animals...and hella pretty colors, but the fuckers will bite.

I've known a few people with large saltwater tanks who had parrotfish and have seen some of the scars left by an occasional "playful nip."

Hah, it's only a fish! Try having a close encounter with one of these!

I'm just glad the one I saw decided to keep on swimming instead of investigating me.

 

[BoomerD]

Hah, it's only a fish! Try having a close encounter with one of these!

I'm just glad the one I saw decided to keep on swimming instead of investigating me.

No shit...morays leave quite a nasty bite...and they often turn septic.

I've been bitten by small moray eels in my aquariums over the years. Even though they were small, (<18") they still had a mouth full of needle-sharp teeth. I don't think I was ever bitten out of aggression, it always happened while I was feeding calamari, and they just tried to take the wrong piece of meat.
Fortunately, not as bad as this moron:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHNpYxCSnUM&feature=related

I quickly learned to feed them with a stick instead of by hand...

 

[Whoozyerdaddy]

How about Waikiki?

Waikiki is a cesspool... Go to Maui. Big Beach... Baldwin Beach... Kam I... Ka'anapali Beach...

Moloka'i has some absolutely awesome beaches too and there's nobody there.

 

[Crusty]

Waikiki is a cesspool... Go to Maui. Big Beach... Baldwin Beach... Kam I... Ka'anapali Beach...

Moloka'i has some absolutely awesome beaches too and there's nobody there.

I've been to all of those.... and I agree. Doesn't mean Waikiki doesn't fit the OP's description.

 

[BoomerD]

I've been to all of those.... and I agree. Doesn't mean Waikiki doesn't fit the OP's description.

Agreed. While Waikiki is definitely NOT one of my favorite beaches...it's still a white sandy beach...and it's still in Hawaii. Far better than most other US locations.
IMO, the one drawback to the beaches in Hawaii is the underlying lava...that shit is tough on the bare feet. I always wear "water shoes" if I don't have flippers on. Between the lava and coral, and the dammed sea urchin spines, my tender feet need protection.

 

[conehead433]

In Florida as already mentioned - Pensacola, Ft. Walton, Destin and I would rate Panama City behind those except for maybe the St. Andrews State Park area. Also Siesta Key near Sarasota and Bahia Honda in the Keys.

 

[Tattare]

Honduras
Belize

I just got back from costa rica and it was nice but not amazing.

 

[blinky8225]

Galapagos Islands. In addition to the sand being white, you can often catch a glimpse of a turtle, penguin, or sea lion while swimming. It's also rather devoid of people.

 

[zinfamous]

I thought all beaches were white since black people do not like water?

 

[bobsmith1492]

White sand? Bah, Lake Michigan sand is the best in the world. Unfortunately, unless you're a polar bear, the beaches are only good for a couple of months out of the year.

 

[RaistlinZ]

How about New Zealand?

 

[RaistlinZ]

Double post

 

[lykaon78]

I've done Myrtle Beach the past two vacations and although the sand is nice the water is not clear. It is very reasonably priced.

I would like to find something less commercialized this year.

 

[Cheesetogo]

Definitely the carribbean. Hawaii is beautiful, but probably not what you're looking for as much. If you did go, Maui would be your best bet.

 

[jinduy]

i've been to waikiki... way too crowded and the sand was pretty rocky. with that said, however, i did have a blast there.

i'm talkin bout sand that's really smooh, with almost a powder sugar feeling. does maui have anything like that? i do have maui to my vacay list.

 

[BoomerD]

i've been to waikiki... way too crowded and the sand was pretty rocky. with that said, however, i did have a blast there.

i'm talkin bout sand that's really smooh, with almost a powder sugar feeling. does maui have anything like that? i do have maui to my vacay list.

That sounds like Sugar Beach on west Maui. IIRC, Whozyerdaddy lives there...or nearby.
The only thing I didn't like about Sugar Beach was the lack of water clarity. The fine sand kept the water pretty murky.

 

[Cattlegod]

negril jamaica