2 Florida Beaches Ranked As Some of the Worst Beaches in the U.S.
It’s the week of the Fourth of July and the summer beach season is in full swing. People are starting to come back to visit local Southwest Florida beaches such as Sanibel, Fort Myers Beach, Bonita Beach, and Naples. But some Florida beaches aren’t getting the same love. Actually, in a study by Walletgenius, 2 Florida beaches ranked as some of the worst beaches in America. The interesting part of the study is that even with all the Hurricane Ian damage, no Southwest Florida beaches were mentioned in this list of beaches to avoid.
The study provided interesting reasons as to what makes their list of worst beaches. For instance in South Carolina, Myrtle Beach made the list for it’s “water quality and the crime rate.” But let’s focus on the Florida beaches and why they made this list.
Daytona Beach, Florida
Daytona Beach is 23 miles of beaches with swimming, surfing, jet skiing, and any other water activity you could think of. So what’s the problem? For one, rip currents. They can get pretty bad. This town uses a color-coded flag system to warn swimmers but not everyone pays attention. There’s also a lot of shark sightings, which tend to freak people out. Back in November of 2022, Tropical Storm Nicole caused a lot of erosion and damage.
New Smyrna Beach, Florida
New Smyrna Beach is known as the “shark attack capital of the world,” with more shark bites than anywhere else. That’s quite a stat to try to overlook when you’re going out for a swim. There’s a lot of what’s know as “baitfish” near the shore, which brings the sharks that are looking to feed. If you’re ever in the ocean and find yourself surround by little fish you’ll want to move. The locals don’t try to hide from this. You can buy Shark Bite Capital T-shirts. Last year there decorative shark statues designed by local artists and high school students set up around town.
Southwest Florida Beaches Ranked.
No Southwest Florida beaches made this list. Despite all the hurricane damage, our beaches are still pretty amazing. If you were wondering, Santa Monica Pier in California was tops on the list. They’re having a bird problem which has led to a bird poop problem. The area is also polluted and deals with a homeless problem. I visited the pier once and it smelled like pee. Here’s the full list if you want to take a look.
Seven Out Of The Ten Most Dangerous Beaches In The US Are In Florida
10. Fort Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale has a danger score of 5.37 out of 10. This beach has seen three surf deaths and two shark attacks. Fort Lauderdale has also seen 120 hurricanes since 1851.
(Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
7. Jacksonville Beach
Jacksonville Beach has a danger score of 6.02 with three surfing fatalities, three shark attacks and 120 hurricane strikes.
(Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
6. Melbourne Beach
Melbourne Beach is another beach on the East Coast of Florida and has a danger score of 6.35 out of 10. Melbourne Beach has seen three surfing deaths, six shark attacks and has seen 120 hurricanes since 1851.
(Photo by Joshua Rodas/Getty Images)
4. Panama City Beach
While Panama City Beach has only had two shark attacks, surfing deaths are high with 24 since 2010. Panama City Beach has a danger score of 7.16.
(Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images for IRONMAN)
3. Ormond Beach
Ormond Beach is another beach that has seen more surfing deaths (8) than shark attacks (4) and has a danger score of 7.48.
(Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
2. Cocoa Beach
Cocoa Beach has a danger score of 7.57.
(Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
1. New Smyrna Beach
The most dangerous beach in the US is New Smyrna Beach with a danger score of 8.14. Just in the last 13 years, New Smyrna Beach has seen 10 surfing deaths and 32 shark attacks. The area has also seen 120 hurricanes since 1851.
Aerial view of beautiful summer day in New Smyrna Beach, Florida.
