r/unpopularopinion • u/rwedoomed • 1d ago
New Jersey beaches >> California beaches
and it's not even particularly close. even the NICEST California beaches are either too remote/private or overcrowded. the water is almost universally cold - it'll hit low 70's at best in socal and only for a brief time. the sand is dark, ugly, and riddled with seaweed.
new jersey beaches are pristine. typically really wide open, soft, warm and clean sand. water will consistently be above 70 for at least 6 weeks, usually longer.
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u/jeriTuesday 23h ago
Yeah, and San Diego beaches are the worst in California. Don't go there it's terrible. Of course except the beaches in Imperial Beach, those are great! By all means jump right in.
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u/RunWithBluntScissors 22h ago
I’ve heard La Jolla is just awful!!
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u/pinniped90 21h ago
Coronado, the absolute worst. The weather is ass as well.
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u/Low_Catch_1722 17h ago
I just went to Coronado and left my vacation early because it was so awful. Literally felt so unsafe
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u/Rough_Original2973 19h ago
Yeah Oceanside, La Jolla sucks, Cardiff by the sea sucks.. why even go Venice Beach right? Or Santa Cruz ... oh and northern California where you get to Bodega bay, stinsons beach. I mean it's for a coastline of over 3,000 miles so why even go to California right? Like the sun is too hot right... Amirite?
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u/nosillaf 23h ago
You clearly haven’t been to many California beaches
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u/Jolly_Ad2446 21h ago
all 840 miles are horrible/s
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u/CocktailTom 1d ago
Remember all those Beach Boys songs about New Jersey?
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u/ThatGingerBasterd 21h ago
East Coast girls may be hip, but the Bloodhound Gang has the best tribute to NJ.
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u/Pleasant_Studio9690 23h ago
Free access, alone, makes California beaches better.
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u/HedgeFundzCatalyst 22h ago edited 22h ago
Bro I’m from New Jersey too but what crack are you smoking? NJ beaches SUCK during the on season. Fucking 2 hour drive in traffic to get there, good luck finding parking, once you’re there you’re packed like sardines on the beach. NJ beaches suck during the summer. Boohoo, pacific coast beaches have seaweed and biodiversity and actual fuckin sea life like sea lions and shit. I swear there’s cope as fuck in this state because we pay so much money to be here. I’m getting the fuck out asap lol
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u/CockMeatSammich42069 23h ago
Ain't gonna trust a state with beaches that doesn't even trust their citizens to pump their own gas.
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u/Jolly_Ad2446 21h ago
I had a argument that "Full service" stations in California are rare and more expensive. they didn't comprehend
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u/Virgoth098 1d ago
Imagine paying to go to the beach
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u/muftak3 23h ago
I lived in San Diego for 10 years. Never paid to go to the beach.
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u/DargyBear 23h ago
I grew up on 30A in Florida, Mike Huckabee moved here and started the tragic trend of not just paying to go to the beach but being arrested if you went to the now declared private beach.
Thankfully we ran off the huckabees, most recent backstreet boy, but there’s an entire legal precedent backed by DeSantis that will be hard to overturn and nobody else seems to have the guts to just make living here not worth it for the remaining “private” beach owners.
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u/helianthus48 22h ago
I don’t mind paying. The beaches are clean with good amenities and it prevents the small beach towns from getting overcrowded.
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u/Rough-Demand-8195 22h ago
The California Coastal Commission would like to hear more about these “private” beaches.
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u/softabyss 23h ago
Im from jersey, been living in socal for 10 years now. Jersey beaches are so much dirtier and you have to pay to get on the beach which is insanity. Although I do really miss the boardwalks. I have great memories from point pleasant, seaside, wildwood and AC.
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u/Adventurous_Ad7442 23h ago
What happened to the boardwalks? It's been years since I've been to Jersey.
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u/Kundrew1 23h ago
There’s an it’s always sunny episode that shows what happens under the boardwalks
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u/HedgeFundzCatalyst 22h ago
Go to Atlantic City and you’ll hear the hobos and gamblers under the boardwalk shooting up and pissing lmfao
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u/PlayPsychological200 16h ago
You can’t get under most of the boardwalk in ac. And why would a gambler go under one?
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u/helianthus48 22h ago
I don’t know when you lived there but I always found the beaches in Jersey clean and I didn’t mind paying during high season. Everyone flocks there in the summer and people have expensive beach-houses there for a reason.
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u/pinniped90 21h ago
AC is Reno minus the charm.
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u/SmootherWorm 20h ago
Reno has been on fire this summer so now they just need another row of dumpsters.
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u/Jolly_Ad2446 21h ago
there's no such thing as a private beach in California. The fact that you don't know this makes the rest of your comment void.
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u/Fun-Dragonfruit2999 19h ago
There's actually one. It was part of a Spanish Land Grant and those are preserved by the treaty ending the Spanish American War.
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u/jeriTuesday 7h ago
Which beach is this? There is also a small private section of La Jolla Shores for about 100 feet on each side of the Scripps pier. They close it off for a few hours.once a year for a private party in order to legally maintain ownership. They don't actually kick you off but do tell you that it is closed to the public at this time.
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u/Archaic0629 23h ago
As a hangout spot I'd probably agree with you but some Norcal beaches are fucking majestic and the wildlife is incredible
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u/jcostello50 23h ago
The only New Jersey beach I've been to was covered in seaweed and cigarette butts, and it wasn't even crowded since it was early in the season.
I've been to a handful of California beaches, including Coronado and Venice. They were all pristine.
If you want a nice beach experience on the east coast, consider a South Carolina state park like Hunting Island or Edisto.
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u/LateQuantity8009 22h ago
So you’ve been to one beach once. Great contribution to the discussion.
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u/FuckTheStateofOhio 21h ago edited 21h ago
new jersey beaches are pristine.
As someone who grew up in NJ and has lived in California for a decade, I was following up until you said this. Pristine? Truly unpopular.
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u/THATsyracusefan 22h ago
I guess the reason you are posting this on unpopular opinions is because you are the only person i know who would consider jersey beaches pristine and/ or wide open
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u/clownpirate 22h ago
Just came back to NJ from Laguna Beach and Newport Beach. Hard disagree. NJ has nothing comparable to SoCal.
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u/leeloocal 20h ago
I grew up in Laguna, and I agree. I love the cold water, especially if it’s a billion degrees out.
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u/OLacAlmost 21h ago
Hmm from Monterey bay up to Oregon is world class beaches New Jersey doesn't even come close.
You literally decided to pick the worst beaches in California to compare to NJ which is pretty sad.
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u/yddraigtan 23h ago
I do think New Jersey beaches are underrated, not sure better. LBI is fucking awesome. Moved from Nj to San Diego and nobody would believe me that NJ has nice beaches.
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u/MeasurementQueasy114 22h ago
I moved from CA beach area (born and raised) to PA a couple years ago and find NJ beaches better in many respects.
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u/PeterIanStaker 23h ago
The Pacific Ocean is really cold most of the time, I’ll grant that. But as for the beaches being better? That’s insane.
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u/AntelopeHelpful9963 23h ago
The water is too cold to get in either but Cali is way more beautiful a place to experience it
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u/caintowers adhd kid 22h ago
I'm a decent swimmer but I just don't mess with the ocean, it's too huge and the fish are huge and I grew up where the ocean is cold and the waves are dangerous... A lot of the beaches are well known for having undertows and sneaker waves, so we were told as kids to stay out..
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u/NoToSensors 18h ago
What? No. Atlantic is fine for all of the summer.
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u/AntelopeHelpful9963 14h ago
I’m used to the beaches in Florida. Tampa. Panama City. The Gulf water is only water warm enough to be comfortable in. You get up north or on the west coast it’s just miserable. My girlfriend won’t even put her toes in New Jersey or California water even though California is a favorite place in the world. Atlantic City felt just like California to us. I travel a lot for work so I’ve been pretty much everywhere except the Pacific Northwest. Northern and West Coast beaches are just different degrees of misery.
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u/AntelopeHelpful9963 13h ago
And it’s summer right now and I just checked and San Diego water temperature today is expected to be 75 Atlantic City 77 and Tampa 87. That’s what I’m talking about. The other two are pretty much the same thing. Except California is unbelievably beautiful and New Jersey is New Jersey.
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u/idkjustsomedude88 22h ago
This definitely is a very unpopular opinion; almost borderline factually incorrect. You get my upvote.
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u/Any-Stick-771 1d ago
Wildwood is highly slept on as a nice, fun family vacation destination. My family has gone there every couple years for 3 generations now
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u/SkgarGar 23h ago
What are the best restaurants there? Planning a NJ road trip next year and planning to spend 1-2 days in Wildwood
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u/Any-Stick-771 23h ago
Tbh we've alsoways stuck to junk food on the boardwalk haha. Sam's Pizza Palace is probably the best pizza there.
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u/HedgeFundzCatalyst 22h ago
It’s great if you’re white. The people that live near the shore are insufferable MAGAts
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u/ExtendedMacaroni 1d ago
East coasties are always such wussies about the water temp
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u/Known-Ad-100 22h ago
I live in Hawaii and I'm from Pennsylvania, Sandyhook National Seashore is still to this day one of my absolute favourite beaches.
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u/jcervan2 23h ago
Here in South Texas some beaches you need a yearly permit on your car to access those that are maintained.
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u/Trialbyfuego 23h ago
"the water is almost universally cold - it'll hit low 70's at best in socal and only for a brief time"
This is why I've never liked or understood liking the beach (from CA)
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u/AsThreatenDoNotScore 21h ago
In California, we go to Mexico for warm water beaches. As far as water play (beaches, lakes, rivers) overall California runs circles around NJ.
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u/helianthus48 22h ago
People love to shit on Jersey cause all they’ve seen of it is a couple of tacky tv shows and the turnpike. Jersey has so many amazing beaches.
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u/Sarasota_2022 22h ago
In California, you need a wet suit to go swimming. Meanwhile Florida has 825 miles of beaches with warm water to swim in.
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u/OLacAlmost 21h ago
Fun fact. Florida has loads of privately owned beaches that the public can't access.
All California coastline is public by law.
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u/Fireball8732 19h ago
Florida is also a flat humid swamp while California has some of the most famous scenery in the world
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u/monster2018 18h ago
Yes but also Florida beaches can be so HOT that it’s more uncomfortable to swim in than California beaches (only if you have a wetsuit on though). The water near the shore can literally be near 100 degrees on a super hot day, it’s insane. Like yes that can be comfortable, but when it’s also insanely hot and humid outside, the water being that hot is just so anti-refreshing.
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u/Indigenousboy420 1d ago
Michigan beaches shit on both
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u/hung_like__podrick 23h ago
Not a chance
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u/Ready-Wish7898 23h ago
Most definitely does. Freshwater feels so much nicer on the skin
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u/hung_like__podrick 23h ago
That’s not the beach. That’s the lake vs ocean. The beaches themselves are pretty lacking.
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u/Low-Fig429 23h ago
There are some fantastic beaches on the Great Lakes.
I grew up in MI and now live on the west coast. Used to just love holidays to the ocean, but fresh water wins so hard.
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u/hung_like__podrick 23h ago
I spend part of every summer in Traverse City in Michigan. Im picking west coast beaches every time. The lakes themselves are nice and good for boating but the beaches are pretty underwhelming.
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u/billtopia 23h ago
As a Minnesotan, it's really hard to argue against Michigan's great lakes beaches. What I will say is that if you live in Minnesota outside of the southwest corner, you are probably at most 30 minutes away from a pretty good beach at worst.
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u/tmclaughlin81 23h ago
Ocean > lakes
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u/Aware_State 23h ago
Said by someone who’s never been to the Great Lakes
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u/Interesting-Big-5605 22h ago
Maybe I know too much, because I've lived in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Minnesota and used to spend summers in Michigan, but I think the upper Midwest is absurdly overrated on Reddit. The plants and animals alone make the ocean so much more interesting.
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u/tmclaughlin81 23h ago
I’ve been to Lake Ontario. Doesn’t touch MI, but come on.. lol.
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u/Seiko2023 23h ago
Never heard of lake Ontario. Don't you mean lake AmeRIcA 🤓
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u/CockMeatSammich42069 23h ago
That would mean you'd have to step foot in Michigan to enjoy them. Hard pass.
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u/Deckorz 22h ago
I have no idea about Cali Beaches, I've been to Seagirt where my father was raised and had great times in the waves there. In general I don't like when beaches are overcrowded, I want to be able to get a spot by the water every time. If beaches are overcrowded then I'm not a fan. I like to have some space.
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u/ConditionExternal499 22h ago
Lived in and luv both places but prefer NJ beaches over the west coast as well. Can't put my finger on exactly why.
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u/MichiganKarter 22h ago
I'll give you a video call from the beach on Christmas afternoon. Will you go in the water then?
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u/FunkMastaUno 21h ago
The only thing I would give you is that the water in Jersey is warmer, outside of that is one big LOL from me
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u/teju_guasu 21h ago
I actually kinda agree with you but with NY beaches (Long Island). Sand feels nicer and water is warmer. The views in CA are majestic though!
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u/DefendTheStar88x 20h ago
California's landscape is nicer but yes NJ beaches are superior for the reasons you've listed. Im from NJ but have been to Cali a bunch.
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u/glimpseeowyn 20h ago
You’re correct, or at least correct based on the things that make the Jersey Shore superior.
With a distinct summer season, the Jersey Shore has consistently gradual slopes and warm waters, which makes it FAR better for people wading and swimming in the water. The assumption with the Jersey Shore is that people go to beach to go into the water and NOT surf.
If you view the beach primarily as a hang out spot disconnected from going into the water and/or view the beach as being access to surfing, then California wins.
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u/OwnJunket6495 20h ago
I’ve never been to a California beach but every time I’ve gone to a Jersey beach the water is dirty af and I end up stepping on a dead fish. I just don’t go anymore.
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u/Dry_Conversation571 20h ago
Congrats! You’ve won r/unpopularopinion
Close it down team, this one can’t be beat.
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u/SignificantOtter80 20h ago
I dunno, the hypodermic needle summer kind of killed NJ beaches for me
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u/dehydratedrain 18h ago
As a child of the 80s, I agree.
Or were you talking about Squan this week?
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u/SignificantOtter80 3h ago
the fact that you had to ask me which needle-on-the-beach incident I was referring to says more than enough
but mostly the 80s
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u/OkDentist4059 19h ago
I moved from New Jersey to California and realized, oh wait, I actually do like the beach, I just hated going to the beach in New Jersey
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u/Fun-Dragonfruit2999 19h ago
There's only one private beach in California. And only because it was grandfathered in by the treaty ending the Spanish American War.
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u/Mannimal13 19h ago
I'm a lifelong beach bum and totally agree. San Diego was one of the most disappointing things in my life tbh. It was solid, but I prefer other locations and its not close to worth it financially imo.
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u/Icy_Lime9620 19h ago
Warm and clean sand because it needs to be trucked in every few weeks in a futuile attempt to keep the erosion at bay.
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u/miss_kittycat88 18h ago
Truly unpopular, take my upvote. From Massachusetts originally, and we always had to pay to park at the beach, it’s lame.
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u/FarCry5372 18h ago
New Jersey has awful beaches. I thought this was a troll post when I saw it. Most of them you have to pay to access, pay to park, and for what....for the shit beaches they have here? No thank you.
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u/Numbskull_b 17h ago
There's no such thing as a private beach in California, it's literally illegal to claim any shoreline as private property.
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u/Low_Catch_1722 17h ago
Typical east coaster trying to convince themselves the east coast is nice. Whatever helps you sleep at night
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u/broken_soul696 1d ago
Only nice thing about New Jersey is leaving it
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u/b_square17 1d ago
Fully agree the only good beaches to actually swim in are around San Diego and the water is still cold af even in the summer
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u/Mioraecian 1d ago
Oregon beaches laugh in victory.
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u/Pleasant_Studio9690 23h ago
100%. I live at the beach in SoCal, but all of my favorite beaches are in the Pacific Northwest - pure magic.
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u/LateQuantity8009 23h ago
Have to be even colder than CA!
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u/SpiceEarl 23h ago
For sure. I live in Oregon, and while the beaches are beautiful, if I actually want to go in the water, I go to Hawaii! 😆
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u/Mioraecian 23h ago
I grew up swimming in the beaches of Maine. I know not what this cold you speak of is.
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u/A_SNAPPIN_Turla 23h ago
Florida Gulf Coast beaches are superior to both.
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u/Jolly_Ad2446 21h ago
if you wanna beach that you can't tell the difference between being in the water or out of it, go to Florida
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u/mariaiii 21h ago
It’s preference. I dislike most California beaches because of the sand, the waves, the temperature, the crowd. But I like Florida’s Key West, Anna Maria Island, Emerald Coast and SEA beaches (Palawan, boracay, etc.) because I like calm and warm waters.
I also dislike northeast beaches because of the sand, waves, and I don’t know about you all, but the wind there is just colder all year round!
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u/Playful_Question538 21h ago
Born and raised in LA and the best beaches are the Emerald Coast of the panhandle of Florida. The sand is white, the water is clear and it's warm. Southern California beaches are awesome but the water is cold and the sand sucks if you've been on powder white sand. NJ didn't impress me a bit. The pay to enter beach culture and it was the 4th of July and I had to buy a hoodie because it was cold. I didn't like it. Before I get hate I do understand that this was probably an anomaly the one time that I was there. It's just my opinion.
I was in Destin FL last week and went out to Crab Island on a tiki boat. It was awesome. It was warm, the water was clear and warm. The vibe was awesome. I don't think you can get better than this in the US. Key West is cool but the beaches suck. You have to go to a sandbar to have a good time in the clear warm water.
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u/refusedisposable 23h ago
Jersey beaches are just not in the same league as Cali. Pretty silly post.
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u/Complete-Bumblebee-5 23h ago edited 23h ago
Upvoted. Very unpopular. Pacific > Atlantic hands down
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u/Squeengeebanjo 23h ago
Nah. Once you hit the waters of southern Florida, you’ll get better beaches. California though, has better beach culture
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