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Man Rescued from Rip Current in Watersound Around noon today, a man was rescued from a rip current in Watersound about 50 yards from where we were sitting. About 6 people were involved in rescuing him. It took about 5 minutes to get him out of the water. He did not need resuscitation, but was...

Just got back from a walk on the beach. There is no breeze blowing at all. The water is much clearer today. It's going to be a hot one!

The double-red flags have been changed to red flags as of 8:30 this morning. The wind has diminished greatly and the waves are much smaller. Yesterday, as we walked along the beach at Watersound, we observed two different groups of teenagers swimming while the red flags were up. Not too smart.

We arrived on Saturday to red flags. Yesterday and today there are double red flags. We are very disappointed not to be able to go in the water, but realize the flag system is for our protection. We're hoping we will be able to go swimming later this week. I'm sure tropical storm Edouard...

This is our first time vacationing here in 13 years. I've got a question. Why are there only two tides a day on the beaches here? Every time we go to the beach (morning, mid-day, or evening), the tide seems to be at the same level. We don't see much difference. When I checked the tide tables...

I really appreciate hearing from one of the lifeguards on this issue. We arrived at Watersound on Saturday. On Sunday, we started out with red flags, until the early afternoon, when they changed to double red flags. The lifeguards drove down the beach asking everyone to get out of the water...

The Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota has an excellent web site where lifeguards post beach conditions for numerous locations on the southwest Florida gulf coast. These reports are updated twice a day. I think it would be an excellent idea for the Florida panhandle to have a similar web page...

I've seen people sitting out on the beach during a lightning storm who seem completely oblivious to the danger. Either people are just plain ignorant or are thrill seekers.

Yes, we had to pay an additional $150 for the membership.

I have searched online, on Mapquest, Yahoo Maps, Google Maps, and my car GPS system. I can't find any online source that has a map of the streets in Watersound. It's as if Watersound doesn't even exist. This will be our first time staying there and I'd like to know where I'm going. Can anyone...

No, I've never been to Anguilla. I would like to eventually visit all of the Caribbean islands. My favorite beach in the Caribbean is Trunk Bay on the island of St. John (USVI). You see it on postcards and ads all the time.

I'd love to write a vacation report when I return! What prompted our first vacation to this area back in 1994 was when Grayton Beach was voted as America's #1 beach by Dr. Beach. We have since visited many of the other beaches that have been on his list all over the country. That's why it's...

Thanks for all the postings! You've convinced me to shop at the Publix in PCB rather than Watercolor. I'm definitely going to buy produce at Toni's.

We are checking into our place at Watersound this Saturday. According to mapquest, we are 14 minutes from the Publix in PCB and 11 minutes from the Publix in Watercolor. Which one do you think is better? We will be shopping for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack foods for the week. I like a...

I will try to shop at some of the local stores, but I really need a well-stocked grocery store to get all of our food for the week. I plan to buy produce locally.

Best Time To Shop on Weekend In Season We will be checking in at our place at Watersound on Saturday. We probably won't be arriving until 3 pm or later since we have 8 hours to drive that day. I know that the grocery store will probably be a zoo Saturday afternoon and evening. Would early...

cpete Thanks so much for the info. Do they provide towels at the four pools? My daughter usually sits under the umbrella. My husband and I like to sit in the sun to get tan (I know, I know, we'll be sorry when we get older). What is the beach like at Watersound? Is it flat or does it slope...

What a coincidence! We are staying in Compass Point I Unit 404. How did you like the condos? We have to pay an extra $150 to use the beach club. The owner said we will get complimentary beach chairs and umbrellas at the club. I guess we really won't need a golf cart, but I thought it would be...

Maybe I can look into renting a golf cart for our stay at Watersound. We will be in a condo, so I'm not sure if there would be a place to re-charge it. Guess I need to check with the condo owner about that. Anyone know where I might be able to rent one for the week?

We just came back from a week on Bald Head Island off the coast of NC near Southport. Golf carts are the primary mode of transportation on the island because cars are not allowed. All drivers had to be licensed and they had police to enforce it. Exploring this beautiful island by golf cart...

The photos I have seen of Watersound look breathtaking. We are staying in a Compass Point condo and will have a view of the gulf. I'm really looking forward to exploring the Watersound area.

I obsess over which place I'm going to rent. This year, I spent at least a month online every day researching all the possibilities. I determine what my price range is to start with. Location and views are very important to me. Access to a pool (either private or community) are also a must...

CPete, Thanks for the info about the beach conditions at Watersound. We will keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best. There are no guarantees when we are dealing with mother nature.

Well, if there is a single jellyfish out there, my 15-year-old daughter will not even put her toes in the water. She was stung by a box jellyfish (sea wasp) in the Virgin Islands when she was very little. It sent her to the ER in terrible pain. They had to administer demerol. If the jellies...

I guess you have probably already returned from your trip. We will be staying at Watersound the week of Aug. 2-9. I'm not familiar with June grass. They have red drift algae on the southwest gulf coast which is awful during the summer. It was piled up 2 feet deep on Siesta Key beach last...

Hi All, My husband, teenage daughter, and I leaving for a week at Watersound this Friday (Aug. 1). It's been 13 years since we last vacationed on the panhandle of Florida. We stayed at a condo at Emerald Hill at Seagrove Beach last time. I'm sure there will be many changes to the area. We will...

The owner just gave me the option to cancel or change my reservation up until the last minute without penalty. She has been very kind and flexible. I've developed a rapport with her so that she feels that she can trust me. I've never had to cancel a beach reservation in 25 years. So, to answer...

I'm planning to rent a condo this summer from an owner who advertises on VRBO. It wasn't until two weeks after we had been e-mailing one another that I discovered that the owner uses a rental mgmt company. The rental mgmt company told me that we will have to purchase trip cancellation insurance...

Tell me about it! Our family had a beach house from since I was 3 years old. I spent my childhood and teenage summers there. It was great fun and I have wonderful memories, but it was a lot of work for my parents. When my father passed away in 1992, the following year we decided to sell it...

I never got a response from any of the rental management companies nor any owners at the Sanctuary at Redfish regarding how I would get to the beach or beach access. I asked them a couple of times. I got my answers here on the message board. Now shouldn't the condo owner have been able to answer...

Years ago when I was researching a beach rental in the Outer Banks, I came across a rental management company that actually listed the walking distance from each house to the beach access. It was measured in exact yards. They hired someone who used a measuring wheel to walk from each house to...

Sometimes you will get conflicting information. The owner of a condo that was one of the furthest units from the beach told me to be aware of the units in the same development that are near the beach because of "road noise." When I expressed concern about noise from the pool which was right...

Another good question to ask is what is their cancellation policy. One owner told me that I would not receive any refund whatsoever once I made the reservation. Yikes!

I'm always very suspicious of rentals with few or no photos at all. If I request additional photos and I'm told there are none, I won't even consider renting it. With digital cameras, there's no excuse not to have plenty of photos available to prospective renters. As they say "a picture is...

If you want a great place to vacation where it's legal to use a golf cart, go to Bald Head Island off the coast of North Carolina. You take a ferry to the island. The only way to get around is by golf cart or bike. Still, you must be a licensed driver to operate a golf cart.

The current law in Destin and Walton County states that it is illegal to drive golf carts on streets, sidewalks, or pathways. You are not allowed to park at the beach either. I contacted an owner who lives in Destin and she verified that this information is true. You are only allowed to take...

I'm a new member of the message board. One thing I realize is the importance of researching your vacation options thoroughly. The more you know ahead of time, the fewer surprises you will have on your vacation. Obviously, other renters on the message board feel the same way. Don't always...

Kimbug, Thanks for putting into words exactly what I was thinking!

We fall into the hard working, sensible, and thrifty category. My husband and I are in our early 50's. We have $600,000 in equity in our home with a few years left on our 15-year fixed rate mortgage (4.25%). We pay cash for our cars. We have no credit card or other debt. We have already saved up...

WaterSound looks to be a beautiful area and probably is one of the best planned gulf front communities considering their setbacks and all. I agree with you. I've considered every single property between Destin and PCB over the past month. I think WaterSound has done a fantastic job of...

No, I don't think I'm being hypocritical. I just want to be able to stay somewhere where I won't be kicked off the beach for trespassing! It makes no difference to me if "outsiders" use the beach near WaterSound. As I've mentioned before, I think the beaches should be for the use of EVERYONE.

Sounds like you have to go into deep debt to afford this area!

Have any of you heard of Wegman's? They are the ultimate grocery store! Fortune magazine has voted them as one of the top companies in the country to work for. The average store is 160,000 square feet and is two stories tall. I drive 45 minutes to get to the only Wegman's in Maryland. It is...

The median household income is $53,000. The figure of $700,000 was the median sales price.

What percentage of the homes/condos in SoWal are owned by full-time residents? I would guess probably 5%. I would imagine the rest are second homes or investment properties.

I checked some demographic information about the beaches of South Walton area. The average household income is $70,000. The average price of a home is about $700,000. How can people afford to live in SoWal? The average household income level where I live is $214,000. The average price of a...

As I mentioned earlier in this thread, we were considering staying at the Sanctuary at Redfish this summer like kimbug. However, the whole issue of beach access has me worried. Therefore, we will be staying at WaterSound instead. They have a whole mile of beach there. WaterSound has all the...

I appreciate all the feedback I've received from my initial posting. We live in a planned community of about 100,000 in the suburbs of Washington, DC. We're used to having plenty of amenities. We all pay a yearly "tax" for these amenities. We don't have to worry about someone parking their...

Thanks for all the info, beachbummet! We are specifically looking at a Compass Point I condo right now. The owner has a membership to the beach club, so we can use that pool. Our daughter isn't little any more (she's a teenager). But I've seen pictures of the pool there and it looks...

I would love to buy a condo or home in WaterSound as a place to retire, but how can anyone afford these prices??? :yikes:I'm looking at the condos at WaterSound and they range in price from $1-3 million! The homes range from $2.5-6 million! Are most of these condos and homes owned by...