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A warm afternoon breeze tickles palm fronds at the back of the beach. Amber sun paints the sand butterscotch, and six-inch wavelets twirl into the shore like water-skippers. I walk out 10 feet and plunge into silky, clean, mild saltwater.

Hawaii in November? No, the Northwest in late August.

This is at Vancouver’s English Bay Beach, which is a famously benign spot climatically, socially and recreationally. But such an experience is possible at numerous Northwest saltwater beaches in late summer—absent the palm fronds, which are provided in Vancouver by the Canadian city’s extensive West End palm gardens. Elsewhere, in dozens of palm-free but protected bays and inlets, late summer brings water temperatures tolerable for all but the tenderest sensibilities. Swimming in our local waters not only offers a delicious experience and a fun outing, it provides bragging rights:

“You swim in Puget Sound? In the water? Without a wet suit? You like that? Really?”

Yes, really. I’ve even done it in winter, but that’s foolhardiness. In summer, it’s about as adventuresome as bike riding. The fact there are beaches that offer really fine saltwater swimming is also an excellent excuse for an excursion. So pack up your trunks, your flip-flops, your beach bag and your snorkel gear (why not?) and splash down.

There are a few tricks to having the most enjoyable experience. Yes, do pick a sunny day—the water’s not usually warm enough to welcome bathers on cloudy days. And take every advantage you can on said sunny days: Plan to swim late afternoon, once the water has soaked up eight hours of sunshine. South- and west-facing beaches are best; they absorb more direct solar warmth.

Last, but not least (this tactic is as old as human habitation out here, as I’ve heard it from First Nations guides in Canada), swim on an incoming tide. As the water migrates onshore, it passes over the warm sand and absorbs heat.

Some favorite saltwater swimming spots:

Quartermaster Harbor, Vashon Island: This protected anchorage is shallow, south-facing and practically bath-water warm by late August. There’s a county park at Burton that offers access, with a semi-sandy beach.

Joemma Beach State Park and Penrose Point State Park, Key Peninsula: These two state parks, on either side of the Key Peninsula near Gig Harbor, are well-known among Northwest saltwater fans. Situated on a side bay in Carr Inlet, Penrose Point in particular has balmy, shallow water that’s perfect for kids.

Gordon Park, Dyes Inlet, Bremerton: Another backwater on a bigger backwater whose waters warm significantly. The pod of orcas that famously spent a week here years ago may have, in fact, simply been on vacation.

Dash Point State Park, Federal Way: Dash and its neighbor, Saltwater State Park, both have flat sand expanses perfect for late afternoon swimming.

Double Bluff Park, Whidbey Island: Double Bluff faces south along Useless Bay, so named because it is so shallow boats that anchor here end up grounded at low tide. When the tide comes back in across the huge expanse of sand, it gathers up all that warmth. Before then, it’s a great place for clam-digging (be sure to check the shellfish safety hotline, 800-562-5632).

Jetty Island, Everett: This Everett city park is reached by boat only; luckily, the city offers a free foot ferry to the island through the summer so visitors can enjoy the 2-mile-long sandy beach and warm, brackish waters. It’s a fabulous destination for a day of picnicking, swimming and lounging in the sand.

Tribune Bay Provincial Park, B.C.: Washington state residents must take three ferries to reach this idyllic spot halfway up Vancouver Island—first, a ferry into Victoria or Nanaimo, then two more ferries out to Hornby Island, on which Tribune Bay is located. Why go to all that trouble? The beach here is a perfect half-mile white sand crescent, facing south, along which the clean water warms to bath temperature—it’s locally known as “Canada’s Hawaii.” Nearby Helliwell Provincial Park is a gorgeous headland with an old-growth Douglas-fir forest, and Hornby is a world capital of island counter-culture.

There are many, many other potential spots for a saltwater swim. I’ve been in the water at Golden Gardens and Discovery Park in Seattle, as well as tiny bays in the San Juan Islands, long, glistening shores on the outside of Vancouver Island, and even the Pacific coast in Olympic National Park. Pick your day, let the sand warm the incoming tide, and it’s almost as great as Hawaii. Almost.

Let AAA Travel help you plan your saltwater getaway.