Hawaii tops Dr. Beach's annual list of top 10 beaches

Nancy Trejos | USA TODAY

Dr. Beach, aka coastal scientist Stephen Leatherman, has picked Waimanalo Bay Beach Park in Oahu, Hawaii, as the top beach of 2015.

It was one of two beaches in Hawaii that made Leatherman's 25th annual list of top 10 beaches.

But the one state that dominated the list was Florida. Leatherman named four beaches in the Sunshine State as his top picks.

Leatherman, a professor and director of the Laboratory for Coastal Research at Florida International University, used 50 criteria to evaluate the beaches, including water and sand quality as well as safety and management.

This year, bonus points were awarded to beaches that ban smoking. Smoking is prohibited on all beaches on Oahu.

Waimanalo Bay, he says, boasts the longest beach in Oahu. Waimanalo Bay Beach Park is the best beach because "the white coral sand is bathed by the turquoise blue waters. The Ko'olau Mountains provide a beautiful backdrop view."

Hamoa Beach in Maui also landed on the list. Hamoa is inside a breached volcanic crater. To get there, he says, you have to take the Road to Hana, which has drop-offs of over 1,000 feet and sporadic guardrails.

"Taking it slow on this road, with over 50 one-way bridges, is the safest bet," he writes.

The highest-ranking Florida beach was Barefoot Beach in Bonita Springs, which claimed the No. 2 spot.

The southwest Florida beach is 8,200 feet long and is located in a 342-acre park.

"The surf is gentle with waves generally being measured in inches, and the water is very shallow, making this a great beach for bathing and swimming for families," Leatherman writes. "The sand is fine and contains many small shells."

St. George Island State Park in the Florida panhandle was also near the top of the list.

"The sand here is squeaky clean," he writes. "Just rub your feet on the dry sand and hear it squeak,"

South Carolina, North Carolina, Massachusetts and California each had one beach make the top 10.

Winners from previous years were not in the running but can be found at DrBeach.org.

The full top 10 list for 2015: