Saba has the smallest commercial runway in the world at just under 400 meters. St. Barths is approx 650 meters. Saba is a cliff drop on either side while in St Barths you run into a beach and then water.
I've never flown into Saba so I'll defer to the stats you posted. But just based on that video, the landing on St. Barths seems just as dicey. For St. Barths, the plane has to cut between to hills and then descend really quickly to hit the runway.....which then...yeah...is longer with more room for error than Saba's.
I take the kids to Monterey/PG/Carmel & Santa Cruz every week. Summer days usually start out foggy, then a little sun, then the fog returns in the afternoon. The warmest months in the Monterey Bay region is in September/October, and the coolest/foggiest months tend to be in summer. Summer months are cool/cold due to a unique weather pattern in the Pacific Ocean. A high pressure system parks itself in the Pacific Ocean off of western Canada starting in April. As a result, there's little to no rain in California starting in April. The other thiing that happens is that a consistent wind ever so slightly whips the surface water all the way down to Mexico. In Monterey Bay, that surface water is replaced from the very deep subterranean canyons, which are the coldest waters this side of the Pacific. As a result of this upwelling, the coldest water temperatures off the bay happen right smack in the middle of summer. The resulting warm sun + cold cold waters result in a dense fog that goes inland because of the> 100F summer temperatures in the Central Valley. By September, the Pacific High goes away, the upwelling water stops, and summer arrives in Monterey Bay. Sunshine & warm temps in September & October. T-shirt & shorts weather all the way to November. An acquaintance from Chile says something similar happens to their coastline too, but I haven't been there yet. We love Sunset Beach, but Palm Beach, a lesser known beach just south of the southern dunes in Sunset is our favorite. Even less crowds than Sunset. Zmudkowski has dangerous rip currents but great for fishing. Unfortunately, it was on the closure list of California state parks due to budget constraints. guignol, speaking of microclimates, the most consistent sunshine/least foggiest area in Monterey is centered around the marina. I have permanent address at Dennis the Menace playground for the last few years, and I can't help but notice that in the summer, you're in the middle of a 2-mile wide pocket of sunshine, Learjets and military transport planes are taking off from the airport, but there's fog in the hills, towards, the Aquarium & PG, & at Seaside. That's why the military built that airport where it was 100 years ago, & the Navy put the postgrad school where it was.
Interesting what cachundo says, I didnt knew that. I was really impressed of the weather at Carmel (its ********ing summer, let the sun come out!! I tought)
Last August,we were at Carmel beach at 3 pm, temps in the high 70s. Warm sunshine, beautiful blue skies. Every 15 minutes, I noticed that the marine layer kept advancing from the middle of the bay. In less than an hour, the fog was on top of us, visibility at the beach was down to 50 feet. I had to take the kids out of the water because i couldn't see them anymore. Still, Carmel beach is so pretty, it has the softest sand I know in Northern California, really powdery sand.
it's beautiful white sand, but personally i prefer the feel of rougher, grainier sand... and it's easier to get off you and all your gear. great for sand castles though. a last word about microclimates... well at least a last word from me... well probably not even that but if you've ever been to fisherman's wharf in SF you've probably noticed the insane business they do there in sweatshirts and knit caps. the tourists leave their downtown hotel in shorts and t-shirts and they get down to the wharf* and it's like mark twain once said: "the coldest winter i ever experienced was one summer in san francisco". some days they could probably sell mittens. * why they go there anyway is beyond me. the only thing to do there is... buy sweatshirts.
In Australia, I am a big fan of Maroubra beach in Sydney (there is a smattering of beaches down the coast of the city - those north of the harbour bridge are nice, but to the south are WAY too full in the likes of Bronte and Coogee, whereas Bondi is just useless). It also helps that it's 10 minutes from my apartment, and 20 minutes on a bus from the CBD. Very good for surfing as well, and even on 35+ degree celcius days, it is never very busy - plus I love the rural looking headland to the south; hard to find in Sydney. In terms of beaches in Australia in general, the very hidden away and epicly-named Mystery Bay in Narooma (maybe an hour's drive north of the NSW/Victoria border); white sand that squeaks beneath for feet, absolutely DEAD 24/7 since Narooma is a tiny town and doesn't have much for about an hour in any direction of it, and water so clear that you can swim about 150m out to these rocks that go straight up to about 10-15 metres above sea level, and can see the ripples in the sand under the water, which is about another 8-10 metres down. What I am really intrigued by though, are the Indonesian Gili islands, not too far west of Bali... where I will be spending from Nov 20 up until either Dec 22/23, or Jan 2/3 before going to try set up my life in New Zealand. It sucks trying desperately to find a new country of residence at times, and being a broke immigrant looking to get sponsored... but it's got it's advantages as well.
I liked Maroubra, but Manly would be my pick in Sydney. Mission Beach in North Queensland has the warmest water I've ever swam in, so it gets my vote. Quite scenic too with Dunk Island in the distance.
Yeah, Manly/Dee Why/Curl Curl are brilliant too, but finding work up around that area isn't as easy, and I was working in Surry Hills while living in Manly for about a month roughly a year back (VERY hard to get accommodation in Sydney over December, so I was house-sitting for a friend) - getting that ferry every morning is just too much effort. Also, the women up there... . Hope you had the good sense to get a meat pie in Hamlets on the corso (Brazilian owned place), and messy nights in the Boatshed .
Doncha just love the crowded beaches, kids screaming and kicking sand on ya? We'd spend the day here on the East Cape Road of Baja, couple of folding chairs, sun umbrella, cooler and books and not see a soul. Great swimming, great walks and beach combing. My fishing? Well, not so good. Just one piece of whalebone. Saw a bunch of it's relatives? frolicking offshore though.
My daughter will agree with that. She and the kids loved it, warm water, nice sand and the food they served from the stalls there. Butter Chicken for the normally finicky kids.
I always figured you be be 15-20 years younger, to be honest. Either that, or all the sun has taken a toll (and being in Ireland, I don't feel sorry for you!). Hoping to get the chance to make a day in Bundoran, up near the north of Ireland. It's hard to get a good day on the beach here due to constant low/mild temperatures and a climate that makes Seattle look like LA, but it's an amazing place when everything is right: Oh, and the surf... Funny enough, it's known to be one of the better surf beaches in the world apparently. Despite the setting, because they are certainly not your typical 'surf' surroundings!
I'm 28 Billy, had a great life... I'm thinking I'm the oldest of the old farts on BS, I'd like to find out one day. My mental development (or lack thereof) keeps me 15-20 years younger. Damn, you've heard me talking about being 10 years old when I cried over Munich. Don't do yer sums over there? Love your photos and the setting, I'd be heading that way a lot if I was there. And as for Seattle weather. I sail here all the time and you just can't beat the weather from July 5 until the end of Sept. Blue skies constant 75+degree days. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else then. I need to head south with the swallows in winter though.