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 Fanatic
Born liar is more like it.
Beach Lover
80 could be very close to correct. I've seen in excess of 30 many places. And yes the vendors are the problem. Doing business on public property. Anything south of MHWL is public beach. No one owns the wet sand. Which is where you guys setup.Your right about no one owning below the MHWL. So what makes you be able to claim it over a vendor? I have seen 30 on the vendors 50 percent of public beach but never close to 80. 90 percernt of all commerical chairs are on private beach.
Beach Lover
Born liar is more like it.Is that directed towards me bud?
Beach Lover
Here is some numbers for you guys. I am behind a study to produce numbers for a private group. On July 4th there were just under 10,000 commercial beach set ups on Walton county beaches. Less then 7 percent were on less than 50 percent of county owned beach. Most of the empty chairs you guys are seeing are actually on private contracted beaches. If you want to see less empty set ups on the beach try starting on private beaches because they have the most. If you want to go even farther a beach set up takes less then five feet. We have 26 miles of beaches. Do the math. Not to mention most places have mutiple rows in a smaller area. Guy commerical beach chairs take up less than 1/3 of our beaches.
Beach Fanatic
Your right about no one owning below the MHWL. So what makes you be able to claim it over a vendor? I have seen 30 on the vendors 50 percent of public beach but never close to 80. 90 percernt of all commerical chairs are on private beach.Nope
Beach Lover
Yep I will invite you to the BCC meeting where the imformation is presented.
Beach Fanatic
Here is some numbers for you guys. I am behind a study to produce numbers for a private group. On July 4th there were just under 10,000 commercial beach set ups on Walton county beaches. Less then 7 percent were on less than 50 percent of county owned beach. Most of the empty chairs you guys are seeing are actually on private contracted beaches. If you want to see less empty set ups on the beach try starting on private beaches because they have the most. If you want to go even farther a beach set up takes less then five feet. We have 26 miles of beaches. Do the math. Not to mention most places have mutiple rows in a smaller area. Guy commerical beach chairs take up less than 1/3 of our beaches.We don't want any empty setups on our beaches. Do the math beach chair vendor.
Beach Lover
We don't want any empty setups on our beaches. Do the math beach chair vendor.I agree. Most of them are on private contract beaches. It will take a act of Congress to change that. Why don't you go tell Sandestin Resort that lol?
Beach Fanatic
They were. Gulf Coast, Beach chairs 4 u, Southwinds. A true local is a person who has lived here there whole life and actual knows a little about the history of the county. A true local hasnt moved from somewhere else and try to change things that would put other locals out of business.I get the feeling you are a young man. If so, I suppose that even though I did in fact move here from somewhere else...
I may have lived here longer then you have been alive.
That would mean, I've lived here your whole life.
Beach Fanatic
I get the feeling you are a young man.
.......working the beach chair circuit, but not otherwise biased.......
Beach Lover
I get the feeling you are a young man. If so, I suppose that even though I did in fact move here from somewhere else...You must be really old. I am 62 years young.
I may have lived here longer then you have been alive.
That would mean, I've lived here your whole life.
Beach Fanatic
The plot thickens. 
Beach Fanatic
I am just curious, is there any common ground?
Beach Fanatic
I am just curious, is there any common ground?[/QUOTE,)
No, we are doomed.
Get ready to enjoy Destin and PCB right here on 30a!
You wanted it, you're going to get it.
I'm going to look to support medical marijuana, open a strip club on 30a and get as many inflatable items on all our beaches!!!
$$$. I'm all about it now. $$$
Beach Fanatic
I said that, not B Wells... Not sure what happened w format.
Beach Lover
I am just curious, is there any common ground?
Common ground? The beaches belong to the public. Give them back and it ends the problem.
Beach Lover
In terms of chairs and umbrellas... The fix is likely as simple as not setting up until the consumer is physically there to take possession and removing them when the consumer leaves. The ghost set-ups, early morning set-ups, taking 50% of the beach, problems would likely take care of themselves.
Beach Lover
You must be really old. I am 62 years young.Since we are going to focus on each other instead of the issues. Didn't you get banned off this forum under a different name last week?
Beach Fanatic
In terms of chairs and umbrellas... The fix is likely as simple as not setting up until the consumer is physically there to take possession and removing them when the consumer leaves. The ghost set-ups, early morning set-ups, taking 50% of the beach, problems would likely take care of themselves.Of course this is the last thing vendors want. They won't, or can't, leave someone on the beach to do setups all day. Or not feasible to be everywhere at once to deliver. That is why they should probably be banned.
If a tourist needs to rent, then let them go to a resort that has it's own beach service. I think the rental contractors there pay the resort about 40% of profits for the privilege of serving their beaches. Sandestin not sure they may own all the gear and use employees?
The alternative, if we're not banning vendors, is to regulate them. Just giving them beach space is ludicrous. We've seen poor results from vendors competing for space with each other and with beach goers using their own setups. Disaster.
So the county can "lease" space each season thorough bids and fees. Regulating would be a headache. How do you divide up the beach? How much do you charge (hint: enough to pay for beach maintenance and lifeguards, turtle watch, etc.)? How do you enforce and monitor? It's not an easy problem. But as the resorts' model shows, it is feasible and profitable. But do we really want half or more of our beaches taken up by chairs and umbrellas?
NO!
Let's stay out of the business and keep our beaches beautiful and peaceful. Apparently the BCC is corrupted by families that are in the rental business. Or influenced by the business.
Beach Fanatic
I suppose...
That since we have corruption in county leadership the only way to resolve the issue is to BLOW IT UP!!!!
A group should form. An association if you will. And we pool our time and resources and begin an ALL OUT ASSULT on thd beach.
An assault of commerce.
Hot dog stands. Taco stands. Tee shirt stands. Jewelry. Soft drinks. Can koozies. Beach toys. Surf boards. Skim boards. SUP boards. And yes...sell & rent beach chairs, umbrellas and any other merchandise we can think of.
We set up on EVERY public beach in SoWal. And we do it BIG. Like a flash mob big.
One day peaceful beach. Next day the place looks like a county fair.
Invite the media. Roll the cameras. BLOW IT UP.
That since we have corruption in county leadership the only way to resolve the issue is to BLOW IT UP!!!!
A group should form. An association if you will. And we pool our time and resources and begin an ALL OUT ASSULT on thd beach.
An assault of commerce.
Hot dog stands. Taco stands. Tee shirt stands. Jewelry. Soft drinks. Can koozies. Beach toys. Surf boards. Skim boards. SUP boards. And yes...sell & rent beach chairs, umbrellas and any other merchandise we can think of.
We set up on EVERY public beach in SoWal. And we do it BIG. Like a flash mob big.
One day peaceful beach. Next day the place looks like a county fair.
Invite the media. Roll the cameras. BLOW IT UP.
Beach Fanatic
Lars, I see what you did there.
Beach Lover
Go look at the Sandestin beach cam today. You couldn't give me a free condo to vacation there!
Beach Fanatic
Go look at the Sandestin beach cam today. You couldn't give me a free condo to vacation there!W0W
Beach Fanatic
#2001
Beach Fanatic
#2011
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