Ten best beaches to visit around the U.S. named

Just in time for Memorial Day, Dr. Beach names the best beaches to visit throughout the country.

Each year Professor Stephen Leatherman of Florida International University, aka "Dr. Beach," compiles the popular list of best public beaches in the United States.

To make his choices, he uses no less than 50 criteria, including best sand and water quality, environmental management and amenities. In recent years Dr. Beach has given extra points to beaches that have good safety records and no-smoking rules.

One of the top ten beaches, East Beach, is located in Santa Barbara County, where a ruptured 24-inch pipeline sent thousands of gallons of oil out into the ocean at Refugio State Beach. East Beach is located about 24 miles south of Refugio. The Santa Barbara Audubon Society is monitoring the spread of oil and so far, East Beach has not been affected.

Here's the full top ten list of America's Best Beaches 2015.

10. East Beach, Santa Barbara, California

9. Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park Naples, Florida

8. Beachwalker Park Kiawah Island, South Carolina

7. Coast Guard Beach Cape Cod, Massachusetts

6. Cape Florida State Park Key Biscayne, Florida

5. Cape Hatteras, Outer Banks of North Carolina

4. Hamoa Beach, Maui, Hawaii

3. St. George Island State Park Florida panhandle

2. Barefoot Beach Bonita Springs, Florida

1. Waimanalo Bay Beach Park Oahu, Hawaii

This year's top spot goes to a hidden treasure off the beaten path in Hawaii: Waimanalo Bay Beach Park in Oahu.

"It's a beach that a lot of people don't know much about," Leatherman said. "I think it's one of those little gems," he said, adding that tourists can easily "miss it all together."

Hawaiian beaches have won the top beach designation 14 of the 25 years Leatherman has published the list. Hamoa Beach on Maui also made this year's list, joining beaches in Florida, Massachusetts, the Carolinas and California to round out the top 10.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.