Sand Sculptures Decorate Beaches in Sea Isle

By MADDY VITALE Tom and Deb Doyle, of Horsham, Pa., make memories in the sands of Sea Isle City year after year. And it isn’t just because they are spending time lounging on the beach at 57th Street, enjoying the ocean and the company of family and friends. They create sand art that has captured the attention and awe of residents and vacationers in Sea Isle for about 30 years. Each summer, the married couple, Tom, a carpenter, and Deb, a financial specialist, create masterpieces in the sand. Tom, 61, mostly does the artwork. Deb, 59, does a lot of the shoveling and comes up with some of the ideas for the sand sculptures. Typically, they go with the latest movies or popular things for the particular year, as well as continued fan favorites, they said. Furniture, an Eagles football, the Phillie Phanatic and Mr. Peanut are some of the popular sculptures the Doyles have made. But no matter what they create, it attracts awestruck beachgoers. A sand sculpture depicts a healthcare worker wearing a mask during the coronavirus pandemic. Although Tom is the lead sculptor, the Doyles' children, Michael, 29, and Meghan, 26, also pitch in when they come down for the weeklong July vacation. “Our daughter went to school for graphic design so she helps with shadowing and Michael is really good at shoveling and he will put the buttons or hubcaps on some of the art,” Tom pointed out. Deb emphasized that Tom is truly the artist at work. She adds some touches. “I come up with the creative part,” she said. “Sometimes we use seaweed and shells.” In addition to their children, their friends, Scott and Jocie Schermerhorn, who join them for vacation in Sea Isle each year, are also a big part of the sand art. “You really need a lot of muscle for the sand and water,” Deb noted. Creative juices flow for not only the Doyles and the Schermerhorns, but also for other beachgoers who look on in amazement at the sand art. “It does affect a lot of people,” Tom said. “People start building stuff around us.” And each year, vacationers come in for a closer look and many are astounded by what the see, the Doyles said. “We had a full family who sat on a couch we made. Once I get people involved in it, they have so much fun," Tom said. "We see one lady each year. Everyone comes around and you become a bigger family.” From left, Tom, Deb and Michael Doyle and Jocie and Scott Schermerhorn, all of Pennsylvania, stand behind a giant sand sculpture of a Philadelphia Eagles football. The Doyles make memories not just for their family, but for others. One mother came up with her 14-year-old daughter and said a photo of her with sand art from when she was little was under their coffee table as a fond memento. “We didn’t come down one year and when we came back people came up to us saying they missed us,” Tom noted. One family said that each year they take pictures of the Doyles' sand art and puts them on display at their house. “Stories like that really drive me to do more,” Tom said. For the Doyle family, Sea Isle is not only their vacation destination each year to get away, but also the best beach to make their sand art. “Sea Isle people are our kind of people. It is family friendly and you could go out at night,” Tom explained. And there is another important factor to their idea that Sea Isle is the best beach town for vacations. “Sea Isle has perfect sand for packing. It is clean, real fine – fine enough to make a snowball out of it,” Tom said. Unfortunately, the admirers of the Doyles' sand sculptures will have to wait until next year to see more of their creations. The Doyles won't be back on vacation in Sea Isle until the third week of July 2021. A Nintendo game control gives beachgoers something entertaining to view.