Inshore vs. Nearshore vs. Offshore

Inshore - Nearshore - Offshore

I see those words used in a lot of conflicting ways. Here is how I see it. What do you think?

Inshore - Saltwater bays and estuaries protected from ocean surf.

Nearshore - The ocean, from the shoreline to 2 nautical miles out.

Offshore - The ocean, greater than 2 nautical miles from shore.

That sounds about right to me. 

I think the inshore vs offshore line is the most debatable.  I've seen 1 mile, 2 miles, 3 miles, and 5 miles as the break point between the two.   Personally, I think if you can see the shore you're inshore and if you can't you're offshore.

Sounds like a good definition to me.   

After reading the original statement, I Googled it and found nothing clearly defining them either.

Time to update Google with your definition Reddie. 

Time to update Google with your definition Reddie. 

I'll get right on that! 

Inshore - Nearshore - Offshore

I see those words used in a lot of conflicting ways. Here is how I see it. What do you think?

Inshore - Saltwater bays and estuaries protected from ocean surf.

Nearshore - The ocean, from the shoreline to 2 nautical miles out.

Offshore - The ocean, greater than 2 nautical miles from shore.

That's the definition I've used in ocean fishing seminars.

I pretty much made it up on the spot. 

-Mark-

That sounds about right to me. 

I think the inshore vs offshore line is the most debatable.  I've seen 1 mile, 2 miles, 3 miles, and 5 miles as the break point between the two.   Personally, I think if you can see the shore you're inshore and if you can't you're offshore.

That's why I fish in the Fog, makes my stories cooler.  "That's right bro, I was offshore in the fog and caught this 50 pound hawg!"

Yah these definitions work. For federal oil spill stuff "offshore" is considered 12nm-50nm. "Open ocean" past that. Nearshore is the pt past a federally defined boundary lines. That's odd because I'm in open ocean 1 inch into the water in Adak since the closest defined boundary line is in Dutch harbor.

Point being the one federal definition I know sucks for this purpose....