Canopy on the beach

[cpete]

From Texas too...

Just a note. This will be our families tenth summer trip to Sowal. This board has been the most helpful and informative tool on the area I have ever come across! We drive all the way from Austin, Texas. Since we have been coming to the beach for a while we have accumulated a lot of what I call "beach plastic junk". It used to be that my brother 'n' law and I would fight to see who would be the unlucky one to take the mess in their car. We finally pitched most of it and tell the kids if you bring it down to the beach you haul it back up at the end of the day. Now the stuff is limited to a football, frisbee and and maybe a pale and shovel for the little one's. We stay at Watersound and pay a little extra for the beach umbrella service. It's great. Thanks again for all the great info!!

Craig in Texas

 

[Jdarg]

Just a note. This will be our families tenth summer trip to Sowal. This board has been the most helpful and informative tool on the area I have ever come across! We drive all the way from Austin, Texas. Since we have been coming to the beach for a while we have accumulated a lot of what I call "beach plastic junk". It used to be that my brother 'n' law and I would fight to see who would be the unlucky one to take the mess in their car. We finally pitched most of it and tell the kids if you bring it down to the beach you haul it back up at the end of the day. Now the stuff is limited to a football, frisbee and and maybe a pale and shovel for the little one's. We stay at Watersound and pay a little extra for the beach umbrella service. It's great. Thanks again for all the great info!!

Craig in Texas

Thank you Craig for "getting it".

 

[GoodWitch58]

Maybe it's time to put a rule up that is similar to the food at the movies or at the MacDonald's Play area:

"Only food purchased here is allowed".

We could say: " only umbrella service purchased on the beach is allowed. "

Now, that could be a government rule--but, it would be private enterprise that would reap the benefit...and the government could ensure that the private beach service people removed everything, every night, or they would lose their license to operate on the beach.

Is this what it will take to keep our beach safe and free of clutter?

 

[grammyc]

Jodifl--I think I was in the middle of that mess YEARS ago minus an umbrella, just a nine year old grandson and one chair! No, you couldn't see a thing, and I had heck trying to keep up with the kid, who was WELL beach savy, but wanted to know how he was suppose to see the planes? In the end, everyone who actually came to SEE the show ran to the waters edge, but could not get in (safety), so imagine the rest. My point, is the kid loved the show and I'm glad, he's seventeen now and can go again if.. he wants, WITHOUT grammyc ! And the other part of the point being, no matter what beach, for what reason, leave some room to see the sky and feel the beach, NATURALLY!

 

[scooterbug44]

I think that having and ENFORCING the ordinance will do the trick. Once people learn the rule and start making decisions about what to bring/erect based on convenience, the oceanfront refugee camps should dissipate a bit.

I thought that the umbrella/chair services already faced losing their permits if they left items out?

 

[Teresa]

Saw a program on the Travel Channel this weekend - Called Beachgoers Exposed - They call people who feel the need to put up tents - and bring a million things to the beach as "beach contractors". They poked fun at the idea of bringing so much to the beach and even remarked about the effort involved in removing it all at the end of the day.

would love to see this.

 

[Teresa]

I read every post in this thread and despite many distractions from the original issue- I *thought* I was following along until now...

Someone pls help me to understrand-

Wasn't the heart of the discussion (at least initially) about leaving all or part of tents/canopies on the beach overnight?

yes. I find hmmm's post offensive for a number of reasons. and especially this particular statement...

The save-the-turtle crowd needs to put its priorities straight and spend their precious time on a real issue such as the homeless, the hungry children of Africa, slave trade, drug abuse, wife abuse, child abuse or making sure that Obama does not get elected president….there are many to choose from that make saving the turtle seem as insignificant as it really is!

kind of says it all about this poster, imo. oh, dear lbj.

 

[kathydwells]

Time for my .02 cents. We do take canopies with us to the beach. We set them up very morning and take them down every night. We do not do this to get a "prime beach spot", we do it to have a place to get out of the sun when we want to. We like to spend all day on the beach since we are only there for a short time. A week to me is a short time. Usually, most if not all of us are under the tents at some time. See:















all of these pictures were taken at different times throughout our week. It is easier to socialize under the tents than having all of us bring umbrellas. We are there to be together and that is how we like to do it. We are responsible beachgoers though. Nothing is left behind at the end of the day. We also pick up garbage all around us everyday we are there. A little hint for those of you who do like to bring your tents. If you spray a little WD40 on the legs on the first day there, it makes it very easy to collapse them. I see all sides of this discussion, but really only comes down to one thing. Be responsible remove your tents/canopies at the end of the day. Some like the use of tents, other's don't. I get that. I don't feel guilty using ours because we do use them, and we take them down everyday.

 

[RiverOtter]

Time for my .02 cents. We do take canopies with us to the beach. We set them up very morning and take them down every night. We do not do this to get a "prime beach spot", we do it to have a place to get out of the sun when we want to. We like to spend all day on the beach since we are only there for a short time. A week to me is a short time. Usually, most if not all of us are under the tents at some time. See:

Looks like a KDW good time

 

[Everytime]

Maybe it's time to put a rule up that is similar to the food at the movies or at the MacDonald's Play area:

"Only food purchased here is allowed".

We could say: " only umbrella service purchased on the beach is allowed. "

Now, that could be a government rule--but, it would be private enterprise that would reap the benefit...and the government could ensure that the private beach service people removed everything, every night, or they would lose their license to operate on the beach.

Is this what it will take to keep our beach safe and free of clutter?

I would be strongly opposed to this policy.

I do not think it will come to that; awareness and enforcement can make the current policies work.