Lakes vs. Oceans

Last week we looked at why a river is a more optimal swimming choice than a lake. This week we're going to compare lakes and oceans. When most people think of summer, they think of fun in the sun, at the beach. Unfortunately, lakes sometimes don't get credit for being a great swimming destination because everyone wants to hit the beach during the summer.

This deep into summer, beach and condo rentals are typically booked solid until August/September when the kids go back to school. And don't even try to rent a place on the beach this weekend, beach rentals usually book a year in advance for the 4th of July weekend.

Now you're left with a decision, where should you go to spend the day?

Here's 5 reasons why going to the lake might be higher up on your list.

1. There's plenty of trees to hang your hammock: You need two anchor points to hang your hammock. When you're at the beach, you typically lack anchor points, unless you're near a busy pier. At a lake, there's typically plenty of trees for you to hang your hammock and kick back for a nice afternoon nap.
2. Water skiing, wake boarding, and tubing: As long as the lake is big enough, it's a great place to take your boat or rent one for the day. I've always enjoyed wake boarding an tubing behaind a boat, but you also need calm water to get comfortably towed behind a boat. In the ocean, you're constantly dealing with swells and currents, making it difficult to have a fun time on water skis, a wake board, tube, or whatever you choose to get pulled around on.
3. Natural shade: The sun's rays aren't anything to mess with and it's always nice to grab some shade. At the beach, you have to bring your own form of shade, whether it be: a pop-up tent, towel, umbrella, or even underneath your car. At a lake, nature provides you with it's own shade with the abundance of trees it has to offer.
4. Cheaper: Going to a lake can be cheaper. If it's a public lake, there's typically no fees involved, it just costs you the gas in your car, food in your belly, and drinks to keep you from getting dehydrated. If you go to a beach where beach driving is allowed, you're going to pay a fee. Some places where you can't drive on the beach will have a parking lot available, but you have to pay to park with no re-entry.
5. Fresh water: Alright, I do love the beach, but there's one thing I can't stand. That's when I go to put my shirt on after a long day and I have salt stuck to me from the dried up salt water. I don't know if this happens to go, but my shirt just sticks to me and is unbearably itchy (I have wussy skin, I know). When you go to the lake, you're swimming in fresh water and you walk away with your shirt on comfortable and no salt on you.

In my opinion, I'd say lakes redeemed themselves right here.