We are back at Sowal and see that the beach chair rentals are now $365 for 6 days. When we first started visiting Sowal there weren't very many vendors and now the beaches are completely dominated by the . Further, the beaches are all divided up in small portions this year with ropes and signs stating where you can sit and can't sit depending on where you are staying.
Anyway, if we wake up early and go down to the beach to set up first, then walk the beach with the kids, can these vendors move my things? I just don't want to be behind 3 rows of chairs because I can't see my children in the water.
Thanks so much!
Replies
300
Beach Lover
Haven't been around long have you?
I grew up here. What's happening now just makes me want to cry.
Beach Fanatic
I grew up here. What's happening now just makes me want to cry.We could take up a collection for a suitcase for you.
Beach Crab
I have been visiting Seacrest Beach for 5 years & I am currently visiting Seacrest now. We had plans to meet with a realtor today to even begin our search to purchase a property as we loved the area.
The Beach Chair Company has changed everything & I do not anticipate vacationing in Seacrest further! I will spread the word that the rules of the beach which allow companies, such as The Beach Chair Company, to fill up the entire beach with their chairs, ruins paying guests & residents experience on the beach.
Not only do they fill up the entire beach, but half of the chairs aren't used. On the 1st day, I arrived at the beach at 6:30am only to find the beach was taken up with The Beach Company Chairs. So, I had to sit at the back of the beach.
Now I have 5 small children & sitting 5 rows back is not an acceptable distance to watch them safely play in the ocean. When you arrive at the beach at 6:30 in the morning, you shouldn't have to sit 5 rows back.
On the 2nd day, I got to the beach at 5:45am. I dragged myself out of bed, no bra, in my pjs, teeth unbrushed to put my chairs out. I was the 1st person on the beach along with another lady. We placed our chairs in the very front row.
I went back for breakfast & came out at 7:30am only to find that the Beach Chair Company placed their chairs less than 1ft in front of my chairs & everywhere else, they spread their chairs apart by 6' taking up the remainder of the beach.
The Beach Chair Company understands the rules that they can't touch my chairs; however, they are playing dirty with the paying guests of the community. Nobody can tell me that placing The Beach Company Chairs within 1ft of my chairs is an acceptable distance. There was another gentleman on the beach & said that he would be happy to begin throwing their beach chairs & umbrellas across the beach. The day before there was a fight over the beach chair problem.
I contacted the sheriff's department & voiced my complaint. He said they have continuous problems with the chair companies & actually responded to a call last week about a vacationer throwing beach chairs/umbrellas across the beach for this very reason. I strongly advise that 30 A change their rules about allowing them to place their chairs on the
beach. This is not acceptable & when a vacationer gets up at 5:45am, they should be able to get a decent spot on the beach.
That is why they are coming to vacation here. My suggestion is to allow the beach chair companies to rent their chairs, but NOT allow them to set up their chairs in advance. When a customer wants to rent the chair, they should go to the stand & then have them set up the chair once it has been rented.
This will prevent them from taking up the entire beach & leaving space for vacationers to sit on the beach. As a reminder, half of the chairs ARE NOT USED! Please save this beach community & vote on a rule which is accommodates/supports the majority of vacationers.
The Beach Chair Company has changed everything & I do not anticipate vacationing in Seacrest further! I will spread the word that the rules of the beach which allow companies, such as The Beach Chair Company, to fill up the entire beach with their chairs, ruins paying guests & residents experience on the beach.
Not only do they fill up the entire beach, but half of the chairs aren't used. On the 1st day, I arrived at the beach at 6:30am only to find the beach was taken up with The Beach Company Chairs. So, I had to sit at the back of the beach.
Now I have 5 small children & sitting 5 rows back is not an acceptable distance to watch them safely play in the ocean. When you arrive at the beach at 6:30 in the morning, you shouldn't have to sit 5 rows back.
On the 2nd day, I got to the beach at 5:45am. I dragged myself out of bed, no bra, in my pjs, teeth unbrushed to put my chairs out. I was the 1st person on the beach along with another lady. We placed our chairs in the very front row.
I went back for breakfast & came out at 7:30am only to find that the Beach Chair Company placed their chairs less than 1ft in front of my chairs & everywhere else, they spread their chairs apart by 6' taking up the remainder of the beach.
The Beach Chair Company understands the rules that they can't touch my chairs; however, they are playing dirty with the paying guests of the community. Nobody can tell me that placing The Beach Company Chairs within 1ft of my chairs is an acceptable distance. There was another gentleman on the beach & said that he would be happy to begin throwing their beach chairs & umbrellas across the beach. The day before there was a fight over the beach chair problem.
I contacted the sheriff's department & voiced my complaint. He said they have continuous problems with the chair companies & actually responded to a call last week about a vacationer throwing beach chairs/umbrellas across the beach for this very reason. I strongly advise that 30 A change their rules about allowing them to place their chairs on the
beach. This is not acceptable & when a vacationer gets up at 5:45am, they should be able to get a decent spot on the beach.
That is why they are coming to vacation here. My suggestion is to allow the beach chair companies to rent their chairs, but NOT allow them to set up their chairs in advance. When a customer wants to rent the chair, they should go to the stand & then have them set up the chair once it has been rented.
This will prevent them from taking up the entire beach & leaving space for vacationers to sit on the beach. As a reminder, half of the chairs ARE NOT USED! Please save this beach community & vote on a rule which is accommodates/supports the majority of vacationers.
Beach Crab
We have been visiting Destin/30A since 1985. As the years passed, we kept moving east from Destin trying to find a more un-crowded beach. We spent too many trips when our kids were school age under an umbrella 2 feet from the next family. In the earlier years, you went to the beach vendor to rent umbrella/chairs. Only then did they put them out and placed them where you requested. Some people like the water line, some like further back in the sand. What is happening now is just sad. We are still coming as every year, but most visitors will have already been and gone. 30A during May, June, July is not fun. As my friends the Eagles wrote, you call it paradise, kiss it good-bye. See ya'll at Elmo's soon! Enjoy your summer.
Beach Comber
Tracie, we had a nearly identical experience in Seacrest this year! It was horrible and any thoughts we may have entertained of one day investing in property there went out the window with our visit a couple of weeks ago. Rampant vendors are RUINING the beach. We're on vacation ... it's ludicrous to have set your alarm at 5 a.m. to beat the vendors to the beach!!
Tracie (and others) if you were renting, I would voice your concerns to the property owner or manager. Make it clear you will not be returning and spending your hard earned money to rent their home. Their HOAs hire the vendors and they can fire the vendors. I don't want to rent homes in communities where I can't even see the water at my community's walk over without being forced to rent a chair and then hoping that I MIGHT get "first row" by the end of the week. We just gave up trying to sit at Seacrest / Sunset Beach and walked down the beach every day to "trespass" and sit at Paradise By the Sea ... until their stretch likely gets taken over by chairs next year!
From what I have observed, vendors put out the paid for /rented chairs (plus more) all day, every day whether you show up or not. If someone rents and pays for an entire week (which it seems like most people do, just out of convenience and the "savings" ... HA HA HA) a chair is up for you all week, from 7 a.m. - 5 p.m. whether you show up for one hour, eight hours or not at all. Not a good system at all if you want to eliminate empty chairs. A great system if you want to set up all chairs at once and be done until 5 p.m. when it's time to pick up! Technically, those empty chairs might be "rented" ie paid for... but vendors don't seem to care if anyone is sitting in them or not. It's not a great system and something has GOT to change. Set chairs based on them being OCCUPIED not just RENTED/PAID FOR. No setting up chairs until the person is there to sit in them. Leave a towel in the chair if you leave for lunch. If someone leaves for the day, dust off and reset the chair for the next arriving guest, or pick it up. But it all comes down to enforcement and changing the way these vendors operate, which seems to be only between the hours of 6-7 am and 4-5 pm. Setting up based on occupancy would mean making them set up / pick up chairs throughout the entire day and not one time in their nice, neat little VIEW BLOCKING rows!
Tracie (and others) if you were renting, I would voice your concerns to the property owner or manager. Make it clear you will not be returning and spending your hard earned money to rent their home. Their HOAs hire the vendors and they can fire the vendors. I don't want to rent homes in communities where I can't even see the water at my community's walk over without being forced to rent a chair and then hoping that I MIGHT get "first row" by the end of the week. We just gave up trying to sit at Seacrest / Sunset Beach and walked down the beach every day to "trespass" and sit at Paradise By the Sea ... until their stretch likely gets taken over by chairs next year!
From what I have observed, vendors put out the paid for /rented chairs (plus more) all day, every day whether you show up or not. If someone rents and pays for an entire week (which it seems like most people do, just out of convenience and the "savings" ... HA HA HA) a chair is up for you all week, from 7 a.m. - 5 p.m. whether you show up for one hour, eight hours or not at all. Not a good system at all if you want to eliminate empty chairs. A great system if you want to set up all chairs at once and be done until 5 p.m. when it's time to pick up! Technically, those empty chairs might be "rented" ie paid for... but vendors don't seem to care if anyone is sitting in them or not. It's not a great system and something has GOT to change. Set chairs based on them being OCCUPIED not just RENTED/PAID FOR. No setting up chairs until the person is there to sit in them. Leave a towel in the chair if you leave for lunch. If someone leaves for the day, dust off and reset the chair for the next arriving guest, or pick it up. But it all comes down to enforcement and changing the way these vendors operate, which seems to be only between the hours of 6-7 am and 4-5 pm. Setting up based on occupancy would mean making them set up / pick up chairs throughout the entire day and not one time in their nice, neat little VIEW BLOCKING rows!
Beach Lover
The beach vendors actions on the beach are akin to organized crime. They come down to the beach in the wee hours of the morning; whatever it takes to beat the average tourist. They kidnap a bunch of public beach front area and then demand an exorbitant amount of money (extortion) to use their chairs since they are the ONLY chairs available at front row.
Now if members of the BCC are complicit in this scheme......
I am just at a loss for words. Reading some of the posts on this thread and others on this forum just breaks my heart.
Now if members of the BCC are complicit in this scheme......
I am just at a loss for words. Reading some of the posts on this thread and others on this forum just breaks my heart.
Beach Fanatic
The beach vendors actions on the beach are akin to organized crime. They come down to the beach in the wee hours of the morning; whatever it takes to beat the average tourist. They kidnap a bunch of public beach front area and then demand an exorbitant amount of money (extortion) to use their chairs since they are the ONLY chairs available at front row.Well one of the voting members on the BCC, has HER family in the Beach Extortion business. Sound perfectly normal right?
Now if members of the BCC are complicit in this scheme......
I am just at a loss for words. Reading some of the posts on this thread and others on this forum just breaks my heart.
Beach Fanatic
We need to get control of our precious beaches. Start with removing vendors.
Beach Fanatic
NO commercial activity on the beach. 100% enforcement. Stiff penalties. Zero tolerance.
Now, show me a candidate with that platform and I will support him/her.
Now, show me a candidate with that platform and I will support him/her.
Beach Fanatic
We need to get control of our precious beaches. Start with removing vendors.Dawn and others PLEASE COPY YOUR POST and email to OUR District commissioner.
Cindy Meadows at meacindy@co.walton.fl.us
Beach Comber
I would like to see a resolution like PCB's " all set ups must be 30 ft. from the water's edge".
Beach Fanatic
Dawn and others PLEASE COPY YOUR POST and email to OUR District commissioner.Done
Cindy Meadows at meacindy@co.walton.fl.us
Beach Lover
DoneI just sent my letter!!! Thanks for the email address, it made it very easy for me to send quickly and efficiently! Everyone just do it!!!!
Beach Fanatic
I just sent my letter!!! Thanks for the email address, it made it very easy for me to send quickly and efficiently! Everyone just do it!!!!She will usually answer...maybe in a few days but still an answer.
Beach Comber
Tracie, we had a nearly identical experience in Seacrest this year! It was horrible and any thoughts we may have entertained of one day investing in property there went out the window with our visit a couple of weeks ago. Rampant vendors are RUINING the beach. We're on vacation ... it's ludicrous to have set your alarm at 5 a.m. to beat the vendors to the beach!!
Try owning beachfront and living here full time and not being able to sit in front of your own house unless you put chairs out at 5:30 AM on your days off!
Beach Fanatic
Try owning beachfront and living here full time and not being able to sit in front of your own house unless you put chairs out at 5:30 AM on your days off!Surely there is a rule about no chairs setups behind homes or condos unless ordered by the occupants.
Banned
Surely there is a rule about no chairs setups behind homes or condos unless ordered by the occupants.
According to a friend of C. Jones son (a beach vendor) ALL the vendors are signing contracts with the homeowners to set-up. It was posted right here on SoWal.
Beach Fanatic
According to a friend of C. Jones son (a beach vendor) ALL the vendors are signing contracts with the homeowners to set-up. It was posted right here on SoWal.I am talking about owners who don't.
Beach LoverAuthor
I have been visiting Seacrest Beach for 5 years & I am currently visiting Seacrest now. We had plans to meet with a realtor today to even begin our search to purchase a property as we loved the area.Great post.
The Beach Chair Company has changed everything & I do not anticipate vacationing in Seacrest further! I will spread the word that the rules of the beach which allow companies, such as The Beach Chair Company, to fill up the entire beach with their chairs, ruins paying guests & residents experience on the beach.
Not only do they fill up the entire beach, but half of the chairs aren't used. On the 1st day, I arrived at the beach at 6:30am only to find the beach was taken up with The Beach Company Chairs. So, I had to sit at the back of the beach.
Now I have 5 small children & sitting 5 rows back is not an acceptable distance to watch them safely play in the ocean. When you arrive at the beach at 6:30 in the morning, you shouldn't have to sit 5 rows back.
On the 2nd day, I got to the beach at 5:45am. I dragged myself out of bed, no bra, in my pjs, teeth unbrushed to put my chairs out. I was the 1st person on the beach along with another lady. We placed our chairs in the very front row.
I went back for breakfast & came out at 7:30am only to find that the Beach Chair Company placed their chairs less than 1ft in front of my chairs & everywhere else, they spread their chairs apart by 6' taking up the remainder of the beach.
The Beach Chair Company understands the rules that they can't touch my chairs; however, they are playing dirty with the paying guests of the community. Nobody can tell me that placing The Beach Company Chairs within 1ft of my chairs is an acceptable distance. There was another gentleman on the beach & said that he would be happy to begin throwing their beach chairs & umbrellas across the beach. The day before there was a fight over the beach chair problem.
I contacted the sheriff's department & voiced my complaint. He said they have continuous problems with the chair companies & actually responded to a call last week about a vacationer throwing beach chairs/umbrellas across the beach for this very reason. I strongly advise that 30 A change their rules about allowing them to place their chairs on the
beach. This is not acceptable & when a vacationer gets up at 5:45am, they should be able to get a decent spot on the beach.
That is why they are coming to vacation here. My suggestion is to allow the beach chair companies to rent their chairs, but NOT allow them to set up their chairs in advance. When a customer wants to rent the chair, they should go to the stand & then have them set up the chair once it has been rented.
This will prevent them from taking up the entire beach & leaving space for vacationers to sit on the beach. As a reminder, half of the chairs ARE NOT USED! Please save this beach community & vote on a rule which is accommodates/supports the majority of vacationers.
I don't see why this is such a complicated issue. What you suggest seems more than reasonable. I will be writing letters tonight.
Beach Fanatic
Great post.
I don't see why this is such a complicated issue. What you suggest seems more than reasonable. I will be writing letters tonight.
If your interested commissioners Cindy Meadows meacindy@co.walton.fl.us
Cecilia Jones. Joncecilia@co.walton.fl.us
TDC Director of beach operations Brian Kellenberger brian@visitsouthwalton.com
Beach Fanatic
#721
Here is why there should be ZERO commercial activity on our beaches.
This is about an hour ago on Grayton Beach, the little Sandy Lane access. County owned property.
It looked like a wedding set up. Big moving van parked where there is almost no parking as it is. Chairs and tables etc. spread all over the dune walkover.
WHERE IS OUR COUNTY LEADERSHIP???
Beach Fanatic
#731
Beach Fanatic
looks like a good time to go to the beach at a public walkover.....
Beach Lover
Killing the Golden Goose..
Yes, there have been some annual visitors who have posted their frustrations here, but MANY more who have not taken the time to write a comment. I know, I hear from many friends who have visited for years, even generations. They have all said they are done; they will try out other places for vacation.
I'm sure many of you locals are hearing the same..
Yes, there have been some annual visitors who have posted their frustrations here, but MANY more who have not taken the time to write a comment. I know, I hear from many friends who have visited for years, even generations. They have all said they are done; they will try out other places for vacation.
I'm sure many of you locals are hearing the same..
Beach Fanatic
That is why we must act, we can no longer afford to kick these cans down the road.
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