We recently concluded our first heat wave of Summer ‘21! Good on us.
My first thought was, “oh boy. If it is like this in June, what will it be like when every day will have 90% humidity and 90+ degree heat?”
Fortunately for New Yorkers, there is an easy outlet to escape: the beach. It is an A, B, D, F, Q, or R train ride to the vast sandland of the NYC border with the Atlantic Ocean.
You don’t have to go to the Caribbean, Florida, Fuji or Australia to enjoy a little sun and surf. Remember to pack sunscreen, sun glasses, and water. It is time to party on the beach with 2xParked.
Sand or Dirt
Like the rest of New York City, the beaches do not have a reputation of being clean. I have personally seen everything from mattresses to dead fish come ashore which does not alleviate the gross concern.
Does the data say this worry is warranted? The short answer: it depends.
I looked the average enterococci level of each beach during each week for the past decade it has been open. If the level is above 104, it does not mean there is a lot of grossness in the water. It means that there is a lot of a certain type of bacteria which is highly correlated with yucky water.
A quick glance at Coney Island does see some huge spikes (and some near bad levels) mostly starting in mid-July. This accounts for the whole beach. If we split into different subsections, the Brighton Beach side is generally a bit cleaner.
On the other side of the Atlantic, Rockaway Beach has had generally safe water. There really have not been bad levels over the past 10 years on an aggregate level.
I looked at some of the smaller beaches as well. They show similar patterns, with Cedar Grove and South Beach having a higher chance of blech water.
The recommendation many experts will say is to not go to the beach the day after a storm. That is when sewage is most likely to runoff into the water, giving it that pleasant spike in bacteria and trash.
Surfin NYC, USA
Yes, New York City has a surf beach at the Rockaways. It is not the West Coast or Hawaii or even Montauk, but a surf beach is a surf beach. The data will tell you when you should go.
There is nothing worse than competition for waves with sea pedestrians. It is best to go during the beginning or end of the season. The dog days of summer will see the most beach goers. For example, July and August see about 15-20% more people on the beach than the average summer day.
If you choose to go out during non-life guard hours, your best option might be to go in late September/early October. There is still a chance the water is warm at that time, and the crowds will be non-existent.
If you do want to take advantage of the hottest summer months though, you need to be strategic about which day of the week you choose. The not so well-kept secret: avoid weekends. That is the key. Other days will be fine, but weekends are extremely crowded.
As you sit in the water, you might also think about potential sharks. They live in the water, and they don’t like people. Here is the likelihood of a shark attack based on month.
I guess there is not much to worry about. There has not been a shark attack in NYC waters in over 50 years.
MayorModel
Be the data! Go out and early vote now.
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Comments? Suggestions? Questions? Email me at 2xParked@gmail.com.