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Experts weigh in on study naming 10 Florida beaches America’s most dangerous ones

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Published  March 26, 2025 5:59pm EDT
Florida
FOX 13 News

Report: Florida has most dangerous beaches in U.S.

Ariel Plasencia reports.

The Brief

    • Experts in the Sunshine State weighed in on a recent study that identified 10 Florida beaches as the most dangerous in the country.
    • Researchers with Tideschart evaluated 528 beaches across the country to find the 10 most dangerous beaches to visit in America.
    • All 10 beaches are on the east coast of Florida, with one being in the Panhandle.

TAMPA, Fla. - Experts in the Sunshine State are weighing in on a recent study that identified 10 Florida beaches as the most dangerous in the country. 

Big picture view:

Researchers with Tideschart evaluated 528 beaches across the country to find the 10 most dangerous beaches to visit in America, based on three factors: hurricanes, shark attacks and surf zone fatalities, such as rip currents deaths. All 10 beaches are on the east coast of Florida, with one being in the Panhandle. 

RELATED: Most dangerous beaches in America are in Florida: Researchers

These are the 10 Florida beaches listed: 

  1. New Smyrna Beach, Florida
  2. Laguna Beach, Florida
  3. Daytona Beach, Florida
  4. Miami Beach, Florida
  5. Indialantic Boardwalk, Florida
  6. Cocoa Beach, Florida
  7. Palm Beach, Florida
  8. Miramar Heights Beach, Florida
  9. Cape Canaveral, Florida
  10. Jupiter Beach Park, Florida

"While shark attacks often dominate the headlines, the real danger on Florida’s beaches stems from the ever-present hurricane threat," said Tideschart founder Ryan Blundell. "Hurricanes cause powerful rip currents and storm surges, which significantly elevate the risk for beachgoers. This is why it is no surprise that all of the top 10 most dangerous beaches in America are in Florida."

What they're saying:

"I thought it was a little bit unfair, because it's not as if everyone's going to go to the beach during a hurricane. Obviously, when we have hurricanes, we evacuate people, and we get people off the beaches," Brooke Hansen, the associate director of USF Muma College of Business’ School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, said. 

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As for shark attacks, local experts agreed that other beaches in other states face the same problem. 

"In terms of sharks, I'm most concerned with Southern California, La Jolla particularly," FIU professor Dr. Stephen Leatherman told FOX 13. 

Leatherman, who’s also known as "Dr. Beach," puts out his own annual list of "Best Beaches." He told FOX 13 he relies on "50 criteria" to rank them. That includes analyzing rip currents, which is also what Tideschart researchers looked at, too.

"That's the most dangerous thing at most beaches," Leatherman added. 

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It’s what landed Laguna Beach in second. According to Tideschart, Laguna Beach had the most surf zone fatalities out of all the beaches they studied. 

"I would personally consider many of those [Hawaiian] beaches probably a lot more dangerous than Florida beaches," Hansen, who studies beaches as a tourism professor and researcher, said. "You've got high surf. You have jagged lava rocks and things that you really have to watch out for."

Local experts added that this top 10 list would be more comprehensive if it included other states. 

"I think the list is more or less fair, but I do think that they should take another look at some other beaches around the United States," Hansen said. "Maybe Florida could have five of the beaches and then sprinkle in a little Hawaii and California."

The Source: The information in this story includes information from Tideschart as well as Brooke Hansen and Dr. Stephen Leatherman. 

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