beach closed?

Post #8 on the double red flag thread

Holy crapola!!!! I thought you were completely out of your mind on the other thread but I couldn't agree with you more on this one. Sorry to piss ya off the other day I'm not all ways polite. It is true however that people find a comfort seeing surfers out there and they are drawn to the spot we are surfing in like honey. We usually surf right next to a rip current so we don't have to expend as much energy paddling out. Oh yea no thanks on the xanex or whatever it was and yes I am employed!

Holy crapola... you have stated in previous post a month or so ago that there is no such thing as a "rip current"

I didn't think you would take searove girl or profire up on there offer, it is easier to use the keyboard as a "bully pulpit" and think that your loosly written resume on the double red thread would cause us all to start lighting your reputation up with thank you... I read the coast guard creed and suggest you revisit it again.

Holy crapola... you have stated in previous post a month or so ago that there is no such thing as a "rip current"

I didn't think you would take searove girl or profire up on there offer, it is easier to use the keyboard as a "bully pulpit" and think that your loosly written resume on the double red thread would cause us all to start lighting your reputation up with thank you... I read the coast guard creed and suggest you revisit it again.

Whatever dude! Everyone knows where to find me! As far as the rip current thing it's for the ill informed. Looking back to a month ago tells me you have a lot of time on your hands you must be on the county payroll.

GRS, I have no idea where to find you. Do you really believe that soapbox has some mystical light shining on it or something?

My whole post was an attempt to ask you to look beyond what you see in the mirror and consider that there are people who are nowhere near as connected to beach thinking as you are and consider their safety.

Perhaps I would get further by asking you to consider finding someplace not so populated by those who do not understand the flag system, do not make the connection between a surf board and just swimming and may be trusting the locals to determine safe conditions.

I will let someone else come on to suggest where ego will perhaps get in the way of making this a consideration.

Sorry for this coming across as a slam. I am sure you are right that conditions for surfers are way different than swimmers. I promise you, people are not making this distinction and are drowning for it.

I will add for those reading that I have walked the beach and picked up that precious thread between you and your board no less than 20 times in just the past year. It happens.

Please stay safe out there.

So I shouldn't be surfing because people think it is safe to swim. My whole issue can be put real simple to many rules being made by people that don't understand or have a clue. Years ago the Sheriff wanted armbands for all the surfers during double red flag. When we met with him we asked him who was going to go out and enforce this. This was several years ago and things have gotten even more absurd to this date. My gripe is not with you people on this board, it is with the decision makers in this county. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely!

Educate me. What is the point of the arm bands?

I am not altogether disagreeing with you. Everyone should be responsible for their own sorry arses, but we both know which direction the intellectual side of society is going. Just think Mc Donalds having to put writing on their coffee cups that says, "Hey, guess what idiot, this cup contains a hot liquid that you should not pour into your lap" because someone did and now may own a home in Seaside. :funn:

Educate me. What is the point of the arm bands?

I am not altogether disagreeing with you. Everyone should be responsible for their own sorry arses, but we both know which direction the intellectual side of society is going. Just think Mc Donalds having to put writing on their coffee cups that says, "Hey, guess what idiot, this cup contains a hot liquid that you should not pour into your lap" because someone did and now may own a home in Seaside. :funn:

It's sad but how many millions did she get? What is the point of the arm bands? Exactly!!!!

Honest, I don't know what the armbands are for. I know some resorts use them for ID for gated property. How would this help with surfers? ID? If that was the case, I agree that this would seem silly. I understand the instances of surfers drowning pales when compared to others using the beach. Is that really what they were up to?
Most time I see surfers, you folks all kinda stick together. Lotsa help if you got into trouble and many who would know you if the worst happened.

Right, it is what I am talking about in this county all these nutso rules and ideas.. What I meant was If we wore wristbands who is gonna go out in hurricane surf and check them? One day it will say when you come over the 331 bridge------Welcome to SoWal, A gated community!!

Tort reform.

Fay is still affecting us. We have been having lotsa lightning and rain bands passing through coming up out of the gulf. Supposed to do this for awhile today.

Wow, this thread veered! I want to clarify my own post. No way was I putting down tourists. The local is the one often discriminated against in many county decisions of the past. I understand both sides. 32 years of public safety experience (retired) tells me one thing; yellow tape always becomes iron gates in time!!!

So when are we paddling out? Work out in the rain did we?

I started this thread to question why someone restricts my access to the beach, something I hate, not as a local/ tourist(I prefer visitor) bash. People will continue to act without regard to warnings, and tape nor bar will keep me from my appointed beach rounds, but who can close the Beach? I like Oregon- ALLacess to ALL beaches ALL the time, common sense prevailing.

I started this thread to question why someone restricts my access to the beach, something I hate, not as a local/ tourist(I prefer visitor) bash. People will continue to act without regard to warnings, and tape nor bar will keep me from my appointed beach rounds, but who can close the Beach? I like Oregon- ALLacess to ALL beaches ALL the time, common sense prevailing.

Did you see something that said the beach was closed? I am not sure that the beaches were ever closed. The water was closed and the public beach accesses (walkovers and parking lots) were closed.

You are in South Carolina. the beaches were closed. The cops were at the bars the and the Truman show set designers put up pretty scenes up so it looked normal and for the first time in many years there was no traffic in Seaside.

Storm beach

Wow--- i was gonna post and ask what the beach was like during a smaller storm like Fay but it seems there are a few that are a bit testy today ----scary ----- saw PC BEach on the Weather Channel during the Eye and it looked safe enough ----nobody in the water but 7 or 8 hearty soul enjoying the beach----wish I was there >>>............

I am glad they taped up the public accesses!

FTLOG they put up a couple pieces of tape to prevent possible injury and death, they weren't dragging people to jail in leg chains!

We should be thankful they were proactive and prepared for a storm, not biatching about class distinctions of what walkover got taped! :roll:

I understand the liability aspects of a slip and fall on wet stairs, but the question comes to mind -- If the EOC closes the public accesses, and the water is closed, but not the beach, are we to deduce that the public accesses are accesses only to the water and not accesses to the beach?

I understand the liability aspects of a slip and fall on wet stairs, but the question comes to mind -- If the EOC closes the public accesses, and the water is closed, but not the beach, are we to deduce that the public accesses are accesses only to the water and not accesses to the beach?

Don't confuse the already confused!!!

You are in South Carolina. the beaches were closed. The cops were at the bars the and the Truman show set designers put up pretty scenes up so it looked normal and for the first time in many years there was no traffic in Seaside.

Thanks I was confused on where I was :roll:. I am pretty sure you might not know as much as you think sometimes, and this is one of those times. Here's a link to the County's Press Releases. You may want to check the closures and cancellations link before you play Mr. Smartypants.

http://www.co.walton.fl.us/default.asp?id=116

I understand the liability aspects of a slip and fall on wet stairs, but the question comes to mind -- If the EOC closes the public accesses, and the water is closed, but not the beach, are we to deduce that the public accesses are accesses only to the water and not accesses to the beach?

The reasons the accesses are closed is due to liability from accidents that could occur due to them being opened, not because they take you to the beach or water. The County doesn't want you on them in a tropical storm, or even worse a hurricane, because you could get hurt. It's not a hypothetical, it has happened.

What about the daily liability with wet feet on any day the access is open. Liability, I think not. Close access any time it rains? Not!

40mph winds aren't expected with each rain. It was mentioned earlier, the combination of strong wind and rain were the issue, not only rain. My guess is that it would be nearly impossible to ask that TDC employees try to stand guard at each public access and wait for wind to hit a certain speed, so that each access could be quickly closed off, hence the early call on that decision. I just go to Grayton Beach, and am able to avoid all of that red, I mean yellow, tape, though I bet it is more difficult to step through yellow tape with a surfboard at the other accesses, so I can empathize with the surfers.

What about the daily liability with wet feet on any day the access is open. Liability, I think not. Close access any time it rains? Not!

Here is my last post on this so I hope it helps. In lawsuits regarding public entities, there is protection provided to the public defendant in these types of cases as long as the defendant has taken what are called reasonable and prudent measures to maintain a facility in a manner to limit risks to users. Daily use of a beach access is one thing and the TDC maintains log books of inspections and maintenance that has been performed. Additionally, when the public reports something that is wrong, it is noted and fixed. Is there a possibility that someone could slip and fall in a typical rainstorm and the County be sued. Sure, but that is a risk that is assumed and necessary to be able to provide the public access to the beach, and the likelihood is much smaller.

Now, let's look at the other extreme and what the situation was when it was determined that the accesses should close..

The county knows that a tropical storm is coming. It has produced over 2 1/2 feet of rain in at least one area. The winds in Sowal are anticipated to be at least 30mph with gusts exceeding 40. There is a possibility that on the backside of the storm, sustained winds will be more than 40. Sowal was supposed to be in the eye and it was to be a direct hit. In past storms, there have been rapid intensifications in other areas that must be considered since Fay had been trending offshore. In the past four years, two hurricanes that made landfall in Pensacola and Alabama led to the complete loss of more than 40 walkovers in Sowal. The effects of those storms were in close agreement with tropical storm forces as there landfall was so far away.

History has shown that in this case with TS Isidore, someone was injured and the county was sued. The downside is that the accesses would be closed for a day or so, depending on the storms impact.

Would it be reasonable and prudent to leave the accesses open with all this information? No, I could win this lawsuit and I'm not a lawyer.