When I lived in Pasadena I can’t tell you how many times we were boiling hot and said let’s go to the beach in Santa Monica and it would be completely fogged in! It did usually burn off by the afternoon. I don’t think this happens nearly as much on the East Coast (at least nowhere that I know.)
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Interesting. I can say that we have had plenty of cloudy (sometimes rainy) afternoons at National Seashore beach on Cape Cod, MA. But I think that is more caused by the nature of the weather in that area.
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May Grey and June Gloom. But we’ve been having it in October.
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My list for what to bring to the Cape always includes extra clothes for cold and gloomy weather, but it’s not the weird morning fog layer of the west coast. It’s just bad weather!
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In Honolulu, we don’t have fog or any of those things. We just have very high prices. eek!
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Honolulu sounds ideal. Do you all get vog or are you far enough away? We have family on the big island and the vog can be bad.
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We get vog when the volcano is erupting AND there are “Kona” winds but not normally. Since we got split A/C, it no longer bothers us at all. The patients I work with can tell when the wind is coming from a different direction because their breathing is worsened.
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My sibling lives on the ocean. I had no idea how bad the salt/corrosion issue is until they moved there - the appliances, stainless steel silverware, brakes on their car, hardware on kitchen cabinets! I am not sure if it is worse in where they are (FL) because it is hot and humid more months of the year that say DE?
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Just as with the Photos thread, know that I am following along so I can live vicariously. I would LOVE to have a beach house!
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Heat and humidity definitely speed up corrosion.
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Being near the ocean the salt air causes all kinds of issues, specifically with corrosion. Can affect things like light switches (contacts corroding), with cars it can cause things like brake rotors to rust out faster, on a house it affects the paint, fasteners, and even wiring in some cases. It is much better with cars in terms of the body, between the use of plastic and galvanized steel, cars don’t rust the way they used to, but it can cause the paint to dull quicker (if you leave near the sea, regular washing and waxing helps with this).
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Yes this is definitely climate specific; here in the Pacific Northwest it’s really not like that at all (although you’ll see upthread that I mentioned grill grates rusting quickly and unheated closed spaces having humidity issues).
The PNW isn’t humid as a rule; we have wet, cool winters but dry and warm and hot summers. So the corrosive effects are far more limited here.
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I grew up on the coasts of FL, GA, SC. I’d never have a home on the ocean. I’m looking for a nice lake home… water fun but no salt water headaches. Don’t get me wrong, living on fresh water (lakes, rivers, etc) presents its own challenges (my grandparents were on a lake) but relatively easier to manage.
Regardless, I find being near water so relaxing and water activities enjoyable. So it’s worth it!
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I grew up in NJ not too far from the beach. We would get the fog just over the beach areas when it would be a very warm day in the spring and early summer while the ocean water was still cold. You could drive 2-3 miles inland and it would be a beautiful, sunny day.
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This! I live about 4 blocks from a NJ beach, and can kayak from the back of my house into the ocean. There are many times when I may be in town, less than 2 miles from my house, where it is hot and sunny and rush home only to see thick fog ahead of me.
It would often be raining at our house but snowing at D’s school also about 2 miles inland.
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I live in southern CA. We never get snow, but the cool Pacific Ocean moderates the temperatures, such that there is a large increase in range in temperatures as you go further inland. If you go 2 miles inland, you’ll get substantially hotter days in summer and cooler nights in winter. Some example August average daily highs are below.
Near coast: Average High = 71F
4-5 miles inland: Average High = 85F
~10 miles inland: Average High = 89F
~25 miles inland: Average High = 92F
~50 miles inland: Average High = 108F
This moderated temperature effect is one of the primary reasons why I choose to live in a coastal town. I like to spend time outside, and I can do so for a far larger portion of the year, if I live near the coast. Even in October, it’s still too hot for me to go to non-mountain inland hiking areas I like.
However, I wouldn’t want to live directly by the ocean for a variety of reasons, many of which have been listed on this thread – much higher cost for comparable homes; crowded, more traffic, and generally more awkward to get around; more maintenance and repairs due to saltwater, wind, sand, and erosion; insurance challenges and higher risk of events triggering insurance claims; more renters and less of a small town / suburban environment; etc.
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Squawking seagulls that leave smelly poop all over? Web spinning spiders EVERYWHERE? Termites? Whales in the bay that splash too loud? Corroding metal everything?
Tradeoff worth it for days like this!
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Moral of this post……an Oceanside home can be beautiful but maybe less maintenance/damage to a home living on another body of water like a lake or river!
We had a beachside property on a Great Lake. Not winter accessible. When you came back up in the spring the one thing that could cause a mess? Sand. Winter storms, blowing, etc. - some years out small grassy air was full of sand. Windows and siding very sandy. And of course that all comes inside when people arrive! :).
But overall, lake property is probably easier on home maintenance???
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One suggestion for anyone contemplating a purchase-- talk to the neighbors! I know it’s out of fashion these days… but you learn a LOT from showing up in a neighborhood you’re interested in and hearing their stories. The pristine lawn and gorgeous banks of hydrangeas? Been replanted/replaced four times over the last decade from storm surges (not even huge climate type events-- just some bad weather, new moon, etc.) That cute screened in porch? It was put in when the owners discovered you couldn’t sit outside past 4 pm because of black flies/mosquitos/name your regional insect. The reason why an entire block has custom-made wood shingle garbage can sheds with heavy hardware? The area is home to a large population of racoons and skunks, which will destroy any unsecured trash and leave a path of food wrappings across your property.
Better to build these costs into your budget now than to find out after the fact that the local wildlife expert- who removes skunks from crawl spaces and gets racoons out of the attic- charges $300/hour plus travel time! And state law won’t let you kill bats, various other creatures so having a removal service is critical (some of these critters eat electrical wiring-- another expense).
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We actually don’t live on a lake, but just across the road from one, and our neighborhood of 14 families owns a lakeside waterfront area…beach and place to dock boats. We love this arrangement. It seemed safer when our kids were younger not to have easy walking access to the water!
Here is our lake:
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