Question about Sand Texture

[DanKellFla]

Does anybody know why the (underwater) sand at the beach feels so different from the sand on the bottom of the ocean when you jump in the water off a boat? I just came back from a weekend in the Keys. My friend took us out in his boat. Every time we jumped in the water, the sand has a different feel to it than the sand we feel at the beach.

[vbhoutex]

Does anybody know why the (underwater) sand at the beach feels so different from the sand on the bottom of the ocean when you jump in the water off a boat? I just came back from a weekend in the Keys. My friend took us out in his boat. Every time we jumped in the water, the sand has a different feel to it than the sand we feel at the beach.

Possible additional silt that has come in from other sources? And of course the sand on the bottom is also moved back and forth constantly by the water movement so it might be smoother(more rounded)?

[DaylilyDawn]

The sand in the Keys is ground up shell. On land it is called sugar sand because it has rounded , not sharp corners. A lot of plces in FL have the sugar sand off shore as the bottom. After all Fl is surrounded by water.