Coopers Beach In Southampton Makes Top 10 Beach List; Main Beach, East Hampton, Does Not

Coopers Beach in Southampton Village took the number-four spot in this year’s list of Top 10 U.S. beaches compiled by Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman, who’s also known as “Dr. Beach.”

The coastal expert, who teaches at Florida International University, considers factors ranging from the color of sand—tan? pink? white?—to the amount of rainfall, the water temperature, any smelliness—think seaweed or rotting fish—amenities like showers and snack shacks, and, a recent addition, whether smoking is prohibited.

In the past, both Coopers and East Hampton’s Main Beach have made it to the very top of the list, which takes hundreds of beaches into consideration.

This year, Hawaii’s Kailua Beach Park, with its coral-white sand and small, kayak-friendly waves, was declared the number-one beach.

A mere three spots beneath Kailua, and much more accessible for many people, Coopers was extolled for its white quartz sand, large dunes, refreshment opportunities and glimpses of waterfront mansions.

Referring to the last, Dr. Leatherman said on Thursday that when visiting Southampton he personally likes to walk the beach “and see all these castles in the sand.” He takes a bike to the beach to avoid having to pay to park.

When Main Beach in East Hampton landed the top spot in 2013, its team of lifeguards was praised, and so was the fact that even supermodels had been spotted picking up litter.

“I love Main Beach,” Dr. Leatherman said by way of defending its absence, this year, from the Top 10 list. He described the Main Beach Pavilion in particular as “just beautiful.”

“Keep in mind, there’s 650 major public beaches, so it’s very hard to make the list,” he said by way of consolation. He added that having even one South Fork beach make the Top 10 “speaks to the quality of that area.”