Outer Banks has top beach

The best beach in the United States this year is in the Carolinas: Ocracoke Lifeguard Beach, on the southernmost inhabited island in the Outer Banks.

It heads the list of top 10 beaches released by Stephen P. Leatherman, known as “Dr. Beach” for the ratings he has issued every spring since 1991.

Leatherman, a Charlotte, N.C., native, is director of the Laboratory for Coastal Research at Miami’s Florida International University. He graduated from North Carolina State in marine sciences; one job he held as a student was surveying the Outer Banks, including Ocracoke.

“It’s incredibly hard to get in the top 10,” he says of his list. “There are 650 major beaches to consider.”

Leatherman’s criteria? “It comes down to clean water, clean sand, safety, facilities – it can’t be a primitive beach – air temperature and water warm enough to swim in. I’m looking for a balance of creature comforts and nature.”

The rest of this year’s Top 10:

2. Caladesi Island State Park, Fla.

3. Coopers Beach, N.Y.

4. Hanalei Beach, Kauai, Hawaii

5. Coast Guard Beach, Mass.

6. Hamoa Beach, Maui, Hawaii

7. Main Beach, N.Y.

8. Coronado Beach, Calif.

9. Lighthouse Point Park, Fla.

10. Siesta Beach, Fla.