Since Jason and I have been spending quite a bit of time sitting on the beach, we’ve had the opportunity to observe our fellow beach goers…and you would be AMAZED at how many people seem to just not know how to go to the beach!
So, as a service to our fellow, “not in the know” beach goers we thought we would share a few tips to help make everyone’s beach experience more enjoyable! I present:
First things first. Make sure you know the beach rules if there are any!
I think the rules above at our community beach are pretty self explanatory.
However, for some reason, no one ever seems to be able to follow the “fill in any holes you dig before leaving the beach” rule. EVER. I can not tell you how many times I’m leisurely walking down the beach, gazing out over the water and BAM! Hole. (And yes, leave it to me to fall into every hole on the beach. I am just that talented.)
However, Jason and I have found a way to use these rule/ ankle breaking death traps to our advantage!
Find a hole near the front of the beach and strategically place your beach chairs RIGHT behind it. By doing this you are essentially putting a preemtive defensive block on anyone who might come along trying to commit the #1 beach going sin – setting up their beach camp DIRECTLY in front of your well scoped out front row beach real estate!
Ta-Da! Thanks to the hole we’ve protected our front row status!
Speaking of beach real estate, please respect the personal space of your fellow beach goers.
I understand beaches get crowded and while I’m all for making new friends, if at all possible the polite thing to do is to try to space yourself out from your beach neighbor. Ideally I should not be able to share my beach snacks with you without either of us having to get up out of our chair. (This rule can be applied to many non-beach situations as well.)
Personal Space Invasion.
Ah, now this is a personal favorite of ours…the flight of the beach umbrella!
Now I’m no rocket scientist, and how airplanes stay up in the sky is a mystery to me, but anyone who’s flown a kite should be able to put 1 and 1 together and figure out beach umbrella + wind = no bueno.
And here’s my real issues- it’s DANGEROUS! I can’t tell you how many run away beach umbrella’s I’ve seen come hurtling down the beach like spears waiting to impale anyone or anything in their way!
Luckily, Jason has a special knack for corralling loose beach umbrellas, so I’ve always been well protected.
But let me share a little experienced beach goers secret with you…THE UMBRELLA SCREW!
Yes, you can pick one of these brilliant things up for about a $1.99, pop it on any beach umbrella and safely and securely anchor your umbrella into the sand, thereby sparing any of your beach neighbors the unpleasant experience of being made into a human shish-kabob!
Now, more of a pet peeve than etiquette, but I must address smoking.
As a general rule kids, DON’T SMOKE! But if you must, take a minute to play weather forecaster and asses the wind speed and direction and make at least a little effort to not share your cigarette/ cigar/ whatever you may be smoking with your neighbor. (Again, another rule that applies to non-beach situations as well.)
In most other beach situations we are all for being neighborly and sharing!
Lastly, I should mention something that happened the other day that as regular, seasoned beach goers even WE were surprised by. It is NOT ok to pull your kids bathing suit down, let them pee in the sand and then just cover it up. Enough said, and no, I do not have a picture for this one.
Live, Run, Grow 
oh god. if I ever saw the peeing thing, that’d be it. that’d be my pet peeve. Also, that beach just looks amazing and wonderful.
Haha, yeah our beach up here is pretty awesome! And walking distance from our place with makes it doubly awesome (and makes the whole peeing on the beach thing even LESS acceptable! Just walk back to your place!).
I think beaches need to start having security guards and anyone who does anything of these things gets escorted off the beach. The whole point of a beach is to relax! How are you supposed to relax when people are being rude and annoying and disgusting (really, peeing right there in the sand? EW!)?
On the other hand, I REALLY need to visit Cape Cod.
YES, COME TO CAPE COD! (Although to do that you may need to stop registering for Disney races!)
And yeah, our beach really isn’t that bad in terms of faux pas because it is a private beach, but sometimes I am just amazed at what people think is acceptable!
Stop registering for Disney races…that’s so crazy it just might work! Will you volunteer to hold my credit card during the next registration? lol
People never cease to amaze me, and not it the good way.
Lots of pet peeves there, but I think beaches should start banning smoking. I know it’s difficult to police, but the last thing I want to see on a beach is cigarette butts.
Ugh, I know. There is nothing worse than sitting on the beach on a hot day and feeling like you’re sucking on a car exhaust!
UGH the smoking thing always gets me. I feel like if some place is a public place, even if outdoors, there should be smoking rules. ALSO, have you ever experienced someone smoking on the side lines of a race? That kills me!
Side note, I’ve lived in Massachusetts my whole life and have never been to a beach on the cape!
Oh my gosh, running by someone smoking during a race is the WORST!
Where in Massachusetts are you?? The Cape is beautiful and there’s really a lot to do, I (obviously!) love it!
I’m from the North Shore (Beverly) so I grew up on the water without a need to really travel to the cape I guess? Gloucester has some really nice beaches. I’ve been to P-Town once and it was in the spring/ off season… but it was to ride tandem bicycles so that was fun!
LMAO! I love this. I’ve been spending my fair share of time at the beach this summer, and have seen it all…and would definitely echo everything you’ve said here, especially the smoking. (Although I’ve never personally witnessed the peeing incident…GRRROOOOSSSSS!)
I have a few more: how about the people who decide to share their entire bag of chips with the friendly (yet ANNOYING) seagulls, so that those of us sitting nearby get caught up in a swarm of these freakin’ birds? And then said birds proceed to walk and crap all over your towel. Haha.
OR, the people who plant themselves right next to you and BLAST their little 1990s boombox with music you don’t especially care to hear…?
I think my personal favorite are the people who decide to play a rousing game of football or some other game that involves throwing things right in the middle of a large group of people. Can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen innocent bystanders hit with soccer balls, footballs, frisbees, etc…why can’t they go play closer to the boardwalk where nobody is actually sitting?
Ha! So we have a Part 2 planned and ALL of those are on the list! I may quote you on some of these if that’s ok : )
Excellent! Looking forward to part 2, haha. And, yes…of course. Feel free. I could go on and on about this stuff, lol. 😉
HAHAHAHA! This deserves a #thisiswhywearefriends! 😀 Jason’s expression in the photo with the people encroaching is classic. I feel like we would be good beach going companions because all of these things drive me nuts. But really, it’s just about common courtesy and some people don’t have it!
I love the hashtag and will definitely be using that! It really is amazing how people are so clueless to their surroundings (at the beach and otherwise).
This post is exactly why I have trouble at the beach. People do not have common sense and letting a kid pee on the beach is disgusting. Hopefully your next two weeks are a little better!
Haha, we’re fortunate that since it’s a private beach it’s really not that bad, but still I’m shocked at how oblivious some people are!
YES! YES! YES! I agree with everything in this post! It absolutely drives me batty when people sit right next to me when there is a whole beach available… Some people…
Right?!? I don’t get it! Just take a quick look around and try not to sit on my lap!
Is my leopard print thong still acceptable?
Debatable. Maybe I’ll throw it out there for a reader vote in Part 2 ; )
I found a great remedy to the flying beach umbrella here at http://beachsails.com
Beaches, much like life, just require common sense. You’ve hit the nail on the head here, especially personal space and (yuck) smoking.
I’ll add dogs to the list. I like dogs. I have a dog. My beach allows (leashed) dogs. I run on my beach and I am constantly chased by dogs off leash. Not cool. Almost as bad as hurdling beach potholes while running 🙂
Yeah, dogs off leash seem to be an issue in more than just beach situations. I know some dogs are REALLY well trained and are ok off leash, but my dog is really scared of bigger dogs so when these friendly, off leash dogs come running towards her thinking they’re just coming over to play my poor dog goes NUTS!
I’d bring the dog. If anyone gave me crap, I’d ask them if the kids can pee on the beach, then what’s the problem with a dog? HA!
Haha, love this! I’d add a rule about the proper way to shake out your beach towel/ blanket so as not to subject the folks near you to a sand storm. It’s in the same family and understanding wind direction for smokers. Yet some people seem clueless.
Haha yup, the beach towel shake out is on my list for Part 2!
Ha!! I love this!! Smoke gets me, no matter the situation. I mean, really? No one, or okay maybe not no one, but definitely I do not want to smell your smoke. And peeing on the sand? Ewwwww!!!!
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