Customary Use Changes July 1?

Not sure about everyone else but the 1st day of the new or lack of customary use rule seemed to be business as usual. On the west end of 30A we didn't see anything different. No private property/trespassing signs, no property owners chasing people off their beach, no police. Just locals, visitors, friends and families enjoying the beaches just like we always have. The one noticable difference was with the absence of tents and canopies.
Beach ambassadors were at the access asking beachgoers to please use the public portion of the beach or state park if using tents and canopies. Otherwise, be respectful of the beach and property you are on and enjoy the day on the beach.
I can understand property owners not wanting their beachfront full of canopies, loud music and unruly crowds. If we all treat the beach and each other with respect there shouldn't be any issues.

I suspect that the self anointed "activists" have made a bigger deal of this than it really is.

I suspect that the self anointed "activists" have made a bigger deal of this than it really is.

Good effort Mike. Walton Beach Operations and Code Unenforcement still have jurisdiction to enforce public beach activities ordinance on private property after July 1st and the Sheriff is the governing force to enforce the laws on private property as well. About 19 miles of Walton's 26 miles is private beach parcels with a Mean High Water Line (MHWL) south boundary. The MHWL is .75 foot Elevation from the US NAVD88 datum plane. That's the law. Beachfront owners did not create the Gulf boundary with the State. The State did. The Sheriff just has to enforce the laws, not some "rule of thumb", or he is derelict in his duty. Private beachfront is NOT, "essentially" what is considered (by whom) the "dry sand area". Public property is the "foreshore" south of the MHWL between the ML(ow)WL and submerged sands under the Gulf. Sometimes referred to as the "wet sand"; but the wet sand also presumes NO prevailing south wind to push the water above the natural tide.

The Walton Sheriff has proposed the "wet sand" beach as a convenience for his trespass SOP after July 1st because the MHWL is too hard to for him and the public to understand much less enforce, according to his recent FB video explanation. But it is NOT the law. Got this Seagrove Sky cam (thanks SoWal) from another person today. Red line is typical "wet sand". Prevailing winds today were nil. Wonder was code unenforcement was to enforce the non compliant tents on the beach in this photo? Where's the MHWL? Not sure without a survey, but bet it is about were the red line is. Me and many beachfront owners have MHWL surveys and can tell you and the Sheriff where our MHWL is. Or we can mark the MHWL with posts if the Sheriff requires, like he did in his 2105 standard operating procedure. That's essentially the law. Where would the Sheriff enforce Seagrove beach private property rights in this photo? The wet sand?
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Live Webcam - Seagrove Beach SkyCam | SoWal.com

Well we just left our vacation home and were surprised that we were allowed to sit in our normal spot and walk wherever we wanted.

We were expecting the Beach Police to force us to sit in the waves until our raisined skin could not take it any longer.

Luckily, that wasn’t the case for now...

If you own there I think you have access to just about all of the beach except where people have posted signs blocking off what they think is their property.