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The Water Around Us

Typical water · NOAA monthly averages

Best beaches to visit in August

Well-loved U.S. beaches where the water usually averages 70°F or warmer in August. For what the water is doing today, see this week’s live picks.

  1. Number 1

    Siesta Beach

    Sarasota, Florida · ★ 4.8

    87°Faverage water in AugustHurricane season

    Source: NOAA, Venice, FL, 14.7 mi

  2. Number 2

    Lauderdale-by-the-Sea Beach

    Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, Florida · ★ 4.8

    86°Faverage water in AugustHurricane season

    Source: NOAA, 8722670 - Lake Worth Pier, FL, 29.5 mi

  3. Number 3

    Wildwood Crest Beach New Jersey

    Wildwood Crest, New Jersey · ★ 4.8

    76°Faverage water in AugustHurricane season

    Source: NOAA, Cape May, NJ, 6.5 mi

  4. Number 4

    Cove Beach North

    Stamford, Connecticut · ★ 4.7

    73°Faverage water in AugustHurricane season

    Source: NOAA, Bridgeport, CT, 18.7 mi

  5. Number 5

    Waikīkī Beach

    Honolulu, Hawaii

    81°Faverage water in August

    Source: NOAA, Honolulu, HI, 3.2 mi

Hurricane season: on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts it runs June 1 to November 30 and peaks around September 10, per NOAA’s National Hurricane Center. Distant storms can bring rough surf and rip currents on sunny days, so check the forecast before you go.

How we pick

We start from U.S. beaches rated 4.3★ or higher across 200+ Google reviews, plus a short hand-picked list of typically calm Hawaii beaches that have no ratings in our data (280 have a NOAA station close enough to use). A beach makes a month’s list when its nearest station in the NOAA Coastal Water Temperature Guide averages 70°F or warmer that month — below that, sudden entry risks cold shock. Picks are ranked by a review-weighted rating, with at most two per state and one per station. Averages describe a typical year, not this one, and a station can sit a few miles offshore.