Favorite Beach?

Discussion in 'Food & Travel' started by Califas, Apr 3, 2008.

  1. aveslacker

    aveslacker Member+

    Ajax
    United States
    Apr 2, 2006
    Old Madras
    Club:
    AFC Ajax
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    These days, Ireland is known as a pretty good surf destination.
     
  2. billyireland

    billyireland Member+

    May 4, 2003
    Sydney, Australia
    Interesting, wasn't aware. I just figured that given the warmer climates most surf cultures are in, it wouldn't have been as well known. Or that people wouldn't be into losing fingers to frostbite while our surfing. :p

    If you ever go, be sure to visit a town just by there, which goes by the name of Muff... and has this! :D
    [​IMG]
     
  3. Surabhi

    Surabhi New Member

    May 8, 2013
    Hi,
    Gorgeous pics you have updated, I saw only one that is Goa Beech only.
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    [​IMG]
     
  4. Ismitje

    Ismitje Super Moderator

    Dec 30, 2000
    The Palouse
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Seems like too many people only use the beach for summer/warm lazing, swimming, etc. That's a tougher thing to do here in the PNW - you have to appreciate the beach for many reasons. The criteria used so far in the thread omits, for example, all of the amazing beaches in Oregon and Washington. Two of my favorites:

    * Gold Bluffs Beach in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park in Northern California. Great hiking along the beach, neat (and easy) trail up Fern Canyon, nice little campground, and a herd of Roosevelt Elk are always present. Mrs. Ismitje and I took a nice nap in some warm dunes in the midst of one of our hikes when we were relatively newly married.

    [​IMG]

    * Rockaway Beach, Oregon, site of five (maybe six?) week-long family reunions on my wife's side. The water is quite chilly, but the scenery is great, the driftwood plentiful, the fishing good, the sand perfect for building massive "castle complexes," and both plenty of room to spread out and some amenities in town.

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  5. aveslacker

    aveslacker Member+

    Ajax
    United States
    Apr 2, 2006
    Old Madras
    Club:
    AFC Ajax
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
  6. Dr. Know

    Dr. Know Member+

    Dec 5, 2005
    Macondo
    Yeah you need to wear like 3 wetsuits on to surf there but lots of European places are now getting a good name for big wave surfing. Portugal is currently the spot.
     
  7. billyireland

    billyireland Member+

    May 4, 2003
    Sydney, Australia
    Yeah, wasn't that record 98 (or more?) foot record surfed wave in Portugal? I think it might have been broken since, but it was some time in late 2011, iirc.

    I just can't surf or swim in very cold water/weather, though. Not sure if it is from a bad experience I had as a kid in the ocean off the west of Ireland, or that I used to have asthma (and am a smoker), but even if I am having a 'already late for work' shave by dipping my face in the sink for a minute or two, if it is cold water I still get a small bit panicky. Only very cold water, mind - something like a lake on a hot, sunny day or the ocean in Australia in the height of their summer is fine.

    [​IMG]

    That's got 'final scene of Point Break' written all over it. :D
     
  8. Dr. Know

    Dr. Know Member+

    Dec 5, 2005
    Macondo
  9. billyireland

    billyireland Member+

    May 4, 2003
    Sydney, Australia
    I know the feeling, some of my friends in Sydney loved to surf on cold, rainy days due to better waves, less people surfing (and less people not knowing what they are up to, which I admittedly am only a half-step above) and the conditions 'making the water feel warmer'. I've never called bullshit on anything like I called bullshit on that last point!
     
  10. Dr. Know

    Dr. Know Member+

    Dec 5, 2005
    Macondo
    Now I live in tropical island so the cold is no problem but I'd say most of what your friends said is true.

    I went out once, not really sure why, and there was a storm. Raining non stop with harsh winds. It's a local spot very popular but that day there were only like 4 guys out and the break was very very far out.

    I thought I was a hero and paddled out. Half way I got stuck on a huge reef and stepped on a sea urchin. Right there I was about to quit and two huge waves came one after the other and effed me up. I almost drowned. After that I quit surfing for a while.
     
  11. billyireland

    billyireland Member+

    May 4, 2003
    Sydney, Australia
    Oh, I don't doubt that they are right about the waves or having less people on the water, I can definitely see why an avid surfer would like those conditions. But I am a very, very casual surfer... no thanks from me!
     
  12. Dr. Know

    Dr. Know Member+

    Dec 5, 2005
    Macondo
    It was completely stupid and no one should do that unless you're a pro.

    And watch out for sea urchins on reefs.
     
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  13. usscouse

    usscouse BigSoccer Supporter

    May 3, 2002
    Orygun coast
    Mrs Scouse is from the Oregon coast, we went back to live in Florence among the sand dunes there for a while. Like you say "Fantastic" beach walks there, we still have some of the glass fishing floats we found washed up.

    Eric, (The half a bee) our 155# Alaskan Malamute thought it was heaven just to be turned loose and do his own thing on walks, then galloping back to try and trip me up for a bit of sport.

    We scared up a black bear on the trail to Sparrow beach, big bugger as well. He was smart enough to take off running and swim the creek, didn't need any trouble.

    Down by Brookings.
    [​IMG]

    South from Port Orford.
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  14. usscouse

    usscouse BigSoccer Supporter

    May 3, 2002
    Orygun coast
    Just South of Gold Beach Oregon is Secret Beach. Well it was a secret when we lived there, just known to a few locals. Now it has it's own website....how things change. Still a great place, a little tough at the bottom of the trail but worth it.

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    At low tide you can get around and under some rock arches, gives that cathedral feel. We found some nice agates in there.

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    Winding down and through these rocks take you under the arches, got to pick your tides though.

    [​IMG]
     
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  15. usscouse

    usscouse BigSoccer Supporter

    May 3, 2002
    Orygun coast
    Mrs Scouse on Cabo Pulmo Reef Beach. Baja MX. Still fighting the crowds.
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    Tide pools, these shells reside at our house right now.
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    Mexican beach dog and his ball.
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    No TV here, this is just as interesting though. These guys are about a foot long and always moving.
    Especially when pelicans flash by on the screen now and then.
    [​IMG]
     
  16. aveslacker

    aveslacker Member+

    Ajax
    United States
    Apr 2, 2006
    Old Madras
    Club:
    AFC Ajax
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I did that in Hawaii once. Stepping on sea urchins sucks. Had to spend my spare time soaking my foot in a trash can filled with vinegar.

    Still, surfing is so ridiculously cool, I was out in the lineup every chance I could get. Like right now. We're on the Outer Banks for some vacation and I'm in the water almost three hours a day. I think my wife is starting to get annoyed.
     
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  17. The Biscuitman

    The Biscuitman Member+

    Jul 4, 2007
    Club:
    Reading FC
    Haad Yao beach on Koh Pangan, Thailand. for it's paradise like beach. I went there when the resort was almost finished being built, I was backpacking and me and 2 others stayed there for £4 a night and there were only 3 other people there.

    [​IMG]

    Portheras Cove in Pendeen, Cornwall, England. My family are from there, it's a tiny village with hardly anyone there so the beach is almost private. always deserted. Our family cottage is just out of shot to the left. Basking sharks and seals in the sea.
    [​IMG]
     
  18. Dr. Know

    Dr. Know Member+

    Dec 5, 2005
    Macondo
    There's a beach in Costa Rica I went years ago, I forgot the name, which was amazing. I'll looked it up. Not a surfing beach or anything but it was right next to a tropical rain forest. You had to walk through the forest to get there. The sand was right on the border of a forest.

    You would be swimming in this amazing beach and looked at the shore and could see monkeys jumping from the trees.
     
  19. BocaFan

    BocaFan Member+

    Aug 18, 2003
    Queens, NY
    Isn't that totally true though? Lots of times I would go into the same (cool) body of water at night that I was in earlier that afternoon and its way easier to make that first plunge into the water when the outside air temperature is cooler.
     
  20. raza_rebel

    raza_rebel Member+

    Dec 11, 2000
    Club:
    Univ de Chile

    Pacific or Caribe? North or South?
     
  21. Dr. Know

    Dr. Know Member+

    Dec 5, 2005
    Macondo
    It was around 4 hours away from San Jose towards the east. It was Caribe. The ride was great you had to drive through small roads and saw plenty of waterfalls along the way.

    To get to the forest you had to take a boat to cross you over, People said it had crocodiles and shit and you couldn't just swim over.
     
  22. raza_rebel

    raza_rebel Member+

    Dec 11, 2000
    Club:
    Univ de Chile

    There are plenty of places that fit that description. Limon would have been the first coastal city you would have encountered. The bus ride there is great. The roads...not so much. ;)
     
  23. Dr. Know

    Dr. Know Member+

    Dec 5, 2005
    Macondo
    You live in Costa? I really don't remember the name of the place so I have to ask. This was like 9 years ago.
     
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  24. raza_rebel

    raza_rebel Member+

    Dec 11, 2000
    Club:
    Univ de Chile


    I used to. I worked with marine turtle conservation programs so I am familiar with many of the beaches there.

    Nice location BTW
     
  25. Dr. Know

    Dr. Know Member+

    Dec 5, 2005
    Macondo
    A friend of mine who's getting his pHD lived there for a few years studying turtles and the other marine wildlife.

    I called my mom lol who also went with me on the trip and she couldn't remember the name either.

    It was a preserved location. You could climb the forest to high spots and take amazing photos of the seaside below and all that. I just can't remember the specific name.

    Anyway Costa Rica has some amazing places.
     

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