Beach house deck

I think a lot would depend on the age and condition of the deck along with what was previously applied to the deck.

If you have one of the pseudo paint products on there for instance you can’t really go back to a lighter product and have a quality outcome.

If this is a new deck, how new is it? If it's too fresh, the stain might not absorb well.

I have to stain and seal the deck and walkway at the lakehouse every 4 years. Normally do it over the course of 2 weekends. First weekend is prep and cleaning. Make sure nails/screws aren't sticking out and all the boards are in good condition. Sand any areas that are rough or splintered. Replace what needs to be replaced. Blow it, spray everything with an outdoor surface cleaner then pressure wash it. Next weekend I blow everything off again to get all the debris off then stain. Depending how close you are too the beach, you might want to shopvac the cracks and crevices. Sand and stain probably aren't a good mix

I use Thompson Semi-transparent. I haven't had any issues with it but I don't know if it's considered 'the best'. From what I've read online and heard in person, stay away from the Behr stains.

Miniwax or one of the stain/paint companies makes a staining pad that's attached to a pole. You'll still need a brush to get the details but it'll knock out the bulk of the staining and save your back/knees. I've never sprayed on stain, but those that know how to swear by it. Don't try to stain too big of an area at once. I normally do 1-2 boards at a time to prevent streaking/uneven staining. Don't apply too thick of a layer. Don't stain yourself into a corner

All this might not be correct, but it has worked well for me over the years.

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stay away from the Behr stains

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This is about all I can add.

Heed the above advice.