Observing Beach Rules, Both Official and “Unwritten” Benefit Everybody

It’s that time of year again! As you are reading this thousands of visitors have driven to Sea Isle to join the locals on some of the best beaches to be found anywhere in the world. We are all here for the same reason: we love Sea Isle City. And our great beaches are a huge reason why. In order for us all to enjoy the weekend and these great beaches, the City has posted its official beach rules, like not feeding the seagulls, not blasting music and staying off the dunes.   But in keeping with Memorial Day’s status as the unofficial start of summer, there are also some unwritten or less obvious rules. If we all practice common sense and consider the other person, “a day at the beach” will continue to be synonymous with fun. During a recent visit by Sea Isle News, guards Pat Lynch and Pat Scannapieco reminded swimmers to be wary of rip currents and not to panic if caught in one. Don’t try to swim against the current, but rather swim parallel to the shore.  Signal with an arm wave for help. When out of the current, swim directly in to shore. As a public service, we offer a collection of beach rules, both obvious and not so: Some obvious rules:

• Sea Isle has a new flag system to list the day’s beach conditions: Green is low hazard, yellow is medium hazard, red is high hazard beach closed to the public, purple is dangerous marine life in the area.
• Take the boom out of your speakers. Doesn’t matter if you are into Toby Keith or Dr. Dre, don’t assume others around you share your love of that type of music and lower the volume to keep it local to your area.  Same goes for Phillies games.  Other beachgoers might not want to hear the march to 100 losses by our Fightin’s.
• Considerate smoking. If you are a smoker, please be aware of others’ space and don’t allow your smoke to go downwind in close proximity of others. Take a walk toward the dunes before lighting up.  And of course dispose of your butts in an empty water bottle or other such container which can be placed in the trash. The beach is not an ash tray.
• Stay off the dunes. This is a biggie. Dune grass is fragile and vital to keeping our dunes. It is the last line of defense against beach erosion.
• Stay off the jetties. A stumble or fall or a tumble into the ocean from a jetty is very dangerous.
• No dogs on the beach. Our four-legged friends don’t always understand boundaries.

Some less obvious rules:

• Be careful with the sand. Running around near other peoples’ blankets and beach chairs kicks up sand.  When it’s time to leave, don’t shake out your towels, umbrellas, or blankets around other people.
• Speaking of beach umbrellas, make sure they are securely anchored. A strong gust of wind can turn your favorite umbrella into a pointy-ended projectile
• Watch your language. Kids are around and even the adults are here for the salty water, not salty language.
• Make sure your bathing suit still fits. Not much margin for error with wardrobe malfunctions involving beach attire.
• Careful ball playing and/or Frisbee tossing. Many beaches prohibit ball playing although enforcement can be difficult.  So if you decide to play catch, do so in an area away from neighboring beach-goers.

Unofficial Rules offered by South Jersey lifeguards:

• Don’t block the lifeguards’ equipment. It could be needed and needed in a hurry
• Don’t sit or stand too close to the guards or use the lifeguard stand for shade. This is what beach umbrella sales and rentals are all about, and you might get in the way of an exercise or rescue.
• Stay clear of surf fishermen and women. Those lines are easy to tangle and those hooks are sharp.

So what do our readers think? Would you add or subtract from this list?  Other comments on topics on the list?   Head to our FaceBook page and make your opinion known!