Nova Scotia has over 7,000 kilometres of coastline and more beaches than you could visit in a lifetime. The water is cold but clean, and even in peak summer you can often find a stretch of sand to yourself.
The warmest ocean swimming is on the Northumberland Strait side, where shallow waters heat up considerably in summer. Atlantic-facing beaches like Martinique and Lawrencetown near Halifax are popular with surfers. For warmer water, head to one of the province's many interior lakes.