Tents On The Beach

[MonicaQA]

I don't live it SoWal (yet), but as a visitor, I HATE seeing the poles up when I go on early morning walks. Besides being potentially harmful to the sea turtles, it just looks trashy. We do use a portable canopy on the beach, but we fold it up & drag it back when we go in for the day (& it is not easy or fun trying to bring back the canopy along with beach bags, towels, sand castle building tools, skim boards, etc.) However, it is a small thing to do, when we have the privilege of enjoying these beautiful beaches!!!

 

[Lake View Too]

I don't live it SoWal (yet), but as a visitor, I HATE seeing the poles up when I go on early morning walks. Besides being potentially harmful to the sea turtles, it just looks trashy. We do use a portable canopy on the beach, but we fold it up & drag it back when we go in for the day (& it is not easy or fun trying to bring back the canopy along with beach bags, towels, sand castle building tools, skim boards, etc.) However, it is a small thing to do, when we have the privilege of enjoying these beautiful beaches!!!

That's the spirit! We're all in this together!

 

[CastlesOfSand]

I don't live it SoWal (yet), but as a visitor, I HATE seeing the poles up when I go on early morning walks. Besides being potentially harmful to the sea turtles, it just looks trashy. We do use a portable canopy on the beach, but we fold it up & drag it back when we go in for the day (& it is not easy or fun trying to bring back the canopy along with beach bags, towels, sand castle building tools, skim boards, etc.) However, it is a small thing to do, when we have the privilege of enjoying these beautiful beaches!!!

We do the same. It's nice to have a little shade when you are on the beach all day but we would never leave anything out over night. I always hate when I see chairs, tents, floats etc. discarded by the trash can on the beach because someone didn't want them anymore. That drives me crazy!!!

 

[nolachic]

Most condos are now offering free chairs and umbrella. Problem I have is they strip you off the chair at 5:00, best time of day, and they also set them up way too close to each other. We end up bringing our own chairs but have down graded to light umbrellas rather than canopies. We bring everything back in each night with help from our kids.

 

[ASH]

I'm a turtle walker and we have no standing orders to contact anyone regarding left overnight tents and chairs. We likely see the ones left for multiple days because we're there so much, but our focus remains keeping our eyes fixed on the sand looking for tracks. I personally work the West end of 30-A and I have to say that the beach embassador has been doing a standup job of educating people about why it's important to remove items at the beach each evening. Way better than the past couple years.

 

[Kurt]

Just popped into my inbox - good job Elisa!

Items Left on the Beach Overnight Are Disposed of Following Warning

Items left overnight on the beach can be a hazard for both beachgoers and nesting sea turtles. Each morning, a Walton County code enforcement officer patrols the beach and tags items left overnight, warning owners that they will be disposed of if not removed. If the same item is still on the beach the following morning, it will be removed and discarded. This policy is in compliance with Walton County Ordinance 2010-05, designed to help keep our beaches clean and safe. You can help by reminding beachgoers to remove items like beach chairs, umbrellas, tents and other personal items at the end of each day. Questions about tagged items should be addressed to Walton County Code Enforcement at 850-622-0000.

 

[Kurt]

31 Turtle Nests Marked in South Walton!

As of July 19, there have been 31 sea turtle nests marked by South Walton Turtle Watch volunteers. Early each morning, volunteers walk South Walton beaches looking for signs of new nests and checking closely for signs of tampering by animals. Nests are clearly marked to keep beachgoers from disturbing them. Hatching is expected to begin this month. Thanks to everyone who works toward protecting one of South Walton's most valuable assets! For more information or to volunteer, please visit: http://southwaltonturtlewatch.org/.

 

[bluecat]

The less one carries to the beach,the less one has to take in. Try it with a light weight chair,small bottle of ice and sun screen,not too hard to leave with that.

 

[tistheseason]

Hmmm. . . Me thinks bluecat isn't headed to the beach with kids! But your point is valid, lighten the load!

 

[Teresa]

WaterColor has BANNED them on their beaches! Hallelujah!

That is the best news I've heard! Way to go WaterColor.

There were no tents on the beach just 8 or so years ago. And then they just started popping up everywhere. Many are never taken down - they are just left as trash and end up all over the place. I know they help a lot when you are out in the sun for long stretches but somehow we lived without them up until recently. (our sun strategy is stay off the beach between noon and 3pm, enjoy the beach in the morning or late afternoon, or bring a beach umbrella. If we need to be out in the hottest part of the day, we limit the time we are out, and use plenty of sunscreen, hats, large umbrella, water)