Items on the beach overnight

[seaside2]

Normally, we do not go down during the summer months, and have always found the chair dudes willing to leave the chairs and umbrellas in place all night. We are careful to let the umbrella down and tie it. Ms seaside loves to sit on the beach until sunset (If I bring her some adult refreshments!).

When we were down in April, the chair dudes kicked us off the chairs at 5 PM sharp (If not before) and then would not set them up until at least nine the next morning.

Is this all a part of this program to keep the beach free of litter? We have been exposed to the dreaded tent meetings with 30 or 40 cookie monsters hanging around and the tents left up for days on end, but it seems a little unfair to those of us that "behave".

We go in at lunch and leave all of our "stuff" on the beach, come back in an hour or two and it is still there (or at least it has been).

What's happening here is, I suppose, the effect of growth. Not fun for us, but then the only way to stop it is to limit the number of people on the beach at any given time and make a rule to take out what you bring in. Sounds like a great way to ruin a good thing.


I have no answers, but there has to be a better way.

 

[Mermaid]

Normally, we do not go down during the summer months, and have always found the chair dudes willing to leave the chairs and umbrellas in place all night. We are careful to let the umbrella down and tie it. Ms seaside loves to sit on the beach until sunset (If I bring her some adult refreshments!).

When we were down in April, the chair dudes kicked us off the chairs at 5 PM sharp (If not before) and then would not set them up until at least nine the next morning.

Is this all a part of this program to keep the beach free of litter? We have been exposed to the dreaded tent meetings with 30 or 40 cookie monsters hanging around and the tents left up for days on end, but it seems a little unfair to those of us that "behave".

We go in at lunch and leave all of our "stuff" on the beach, come back in an hour or two and it is still there (or at least it has been).

What's happening here is, I suppose, the effect of growth. Not fun for us, but then the only way to stop it is to limit the number of people on the beach at any given time and make a rule to take out what you bring in. Sounds like a great way to ruin a good thing.


I have no answers, but there has to be a better way.

This makes me chuckle because my husband--who was happily napping--was kicked off his chair at 5 pm promptly. Not that he minded by woken up for cocktail hour, though. ;-)

When you rent a beach chair set-up, you rent it for a business day, ie, 9 am-5 pm, even if you've requested service for a week. They tear down at the end of the day to comply with beach rules. Inconvenient for sunset watching, yes, but you can't expect the chair people to hang around the beach until sunset waiting to take a few chairs down after. They are the ones who are ultimately responsible for clearing the beach of their property, not you.

On a side note, even if there weren't laws, they'd probably tear down anyway. The dew that sets in during the evening is fierce. The fabrics would be ruined in no time flat by mildew. It really is necessary to put things away, if only for that reason.

 

[ozbeachmom]

Man, all the talk about the crowded beaches makes me wonder if we were actually at the same stretch of beach the week of the fourth. I counted 11 umbrellas the third of July. Just a hint, somewhere between Santa Rosa and Rosemary. I was pleasantly surprised actually.

The beach in front of our condo at that time wasn't crowded either. But if you went down by Whales Tale in front of Majestic Sun, it was packed.

 

[John R]

this evening:

stuff does not belong to these guys

 

[John Hall]

Since coming here from 1964 we always have brought our toys home at night. common sence.

but 4 tents linked....they really needed to get 4 condos linked

thats over the top. and what if that was cyrstal beach...HA owner would have been out there with shotguns!!

 

[seagrovelover]

John R that IS alot of crap left on the beach....................but I can't help to notice how beautiful the water looks sorry, I'm counting down the days till we arrive

 

[30A Skunkape]

I like the 'house divided' touch of Auburn and Alabama crap hanging from the frame...along with that fake frilly thatch stuff and oversized fishing lures

 

[Mango]

I like the 'house divided' touch of Auburn and Alabama crap hanging from the frame...along with that fake frilly thatch stuff and oversized fishing lures

don't forget the coolers the size of sofas.

 

[seacrestkristi]

TIME!!! Enuff is enuff already. Some one needs to trash that sheeet! Like a giant wind or wave in the middle of the night...just gone.

 

[TNJed]

As a "chair dude" I have a lot of thoughts on this subject, but I'll just hit the high points. There has been an ordinance in effect since '03 which says nothing may be left on the beach overnight. Obvious to everyone, this has not been enforced in the past and the word is they will start to enforce it in a few weeks or less.

The driving force behind this enforcement is the Turtle Watch group. They say the turtles bump into gear/crap left on the beach and get confused, turn around to the water failing to find the dunes and lay eggs.

Most of our "contracted beaches" are cleared each and every day. Single family homes who have delivered rental equipment are left out for the length of the rental, though I do not do these type rentals. The public access and beaches are tricky. We are supposed to clear these beaches as well but currently do not. Reason being is that if we did then all the water edge spots would still be filled by tents and other assorted "disposable" plastic goodies, thereby losing adequate beach space for our county permitted and tourist rented gear. So, we leave it out.

If the TDC and Turtle Watch want those beaches cleared each and every night, then it is fine by me. It will increase rentals, rates, and decrease much tent and cheaper chair garbage which is left each and every week. The problem I see, as others have pointed out, is the county's ability to properly enforce this.

If they haven't been able to enforce it for the past 4 years how will they suddenly be able to do it now? If ONE single tent is allowed to stay then the next day there will be a dozen more. It has to be an all or none type deal.

Clearing the beach for any given week is great, but the TDC and concerned parties better be willing to patrol, tag, and remove gear each and every Sunday/Monday morning when the new arrivals hit the beach. Failure to do so will only penalize county permitted companies such as mine who are willing to abide by the rules only to allow the public at large to get away with it because their name and phone number aren't silkscreened on their tents.

In short, I'm not worried that I'll have to pick my gear up each day. I'm worried the county will not be able to hold the public at large to the same standards due to a lack in manpower or willingness to commit the effort actually required to do what they are proposing. I don't think they have a good solid grasp on how much work this is going to take. On the other hand, it's a great opportunity to provide a job or twenty if handled the right way.