When Is a Beach a GREAT BEACH!!!

When "Dr. Beach" says so, that's when. The good Doctor, aka Professor Stephen Leatherman, has spoken and this year, the top beach is in my home state of North Carolina, and it's Ocracoke Lifeguarded Beach out on the Outer Banks. It is a place so remote, that even the Good Beach Doctor's crew at Florida International University had to look it up.

It is the first-ever non-Florida or Hawaii beach to make the top ranking in his annual top ten ranking of beaches.

Ocracoke is at the southern end of the Outer Banks, and accessible only by boat of private plane. This is also where infamous pirate Blackbeard met his death in 1718.

The article says that Leatherman uses 50 criteria to compile his rankings, and a 1 to 5 scale. No beach has ever gotten a perfect 250, but Ocracoke was in the mid 230s. The sand was lily white, so it lost points there. Other criteria include number of sunny days, frequency of rip currents (real nasty things), and the extent of oil and tar Balls (whatever they are).

In case you're wondering about the 2007 top ten:

1. Ocracoke Beach- Outer Banks of NC
2. Caldwell Island State Park- Clearwater, Fl
3. Coopers Beach- Southampton, NY
4. Hanalei Beach- Kauai, Hawaii
5. Coast Guard Beach- Cape Cod, Massachusetts
6. Hamoa Beach- Maui, Hawaii
7. Main Beach- East Hampton, NY
8. Coronado Beach- San Diego, Ca.
9. Lighthouse Point Park- Daytona Beach, Fl
10. Siesta Beach- Sarasota, Fl

I'd like to nominate Topsail Beach, NC, if there is anything left of it after the Noreasters get through with it. Also, the one at Hollywood Beach, Fl., is a great one.

"Ocra-what? Best Beach is remote" by Martha Waggoner AP.

Real Rough Job to Pick these Beaches, BUT, Somebody's Gotta Do It. Hey, Where Do I Sign Up? --RoadDog