Observing Beach Rules, Both Official and “Unwritten” Benefit Everybody
It’s that time of year again!
As you are reading this, hundreds of thousands of visitors are driving into Ocean City to enjoy the ambiance of America’s Favorite Family Resort.
With great weather predicted – at least for part of the weekend – that means our beaches will be crowded with visitors and locals. We are all here for the same reason: we love Ocean City. And there’s a reason our beaches were voted Numero Uno by Coastal Living magazine…they’re the best!
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 unofficial 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 pre-weekend tour of the beach and boardwalk, a few of the 2017 Ocean City Beach Patrol members contributed some of their own unwritten rules.
As a public service, we present a few of the key official and unofficial rules of the beach:
Some official rules:
- No ball playing: an errant toss could wreak havoc on your beach neighbor’s lunch, umbrella, or desire to catch a snooze
- 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. You could be sitting next to a fan of real major league caliber baseball.
- No smoking. Ocean City beaches are smoke-free and nobody wants to inhale your second-hand smoke or look at a filter tip sticking out of the sand.
- Stay off the dunes. This is a biggie. Dune grass is fragile and vital to keeping our dunes –the last line of defense against beach erosion – viable.
- Stay off the jetties. Those jagged rocks hurt if you slip and fall, and a tumble into the ocean from a jetty is extremely dangerous.
- No dogs on beach. Our four-legged friends don’t always understand boundaries.
- Do not feed the Seagulls – You are not the Seagull Whisperer. They will poop-on and attack you when you run out of food. If they do not, the other beach goers will.
Some unofficial 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.
- Be nice to the beach taggers. These young men and women are collecting the funds that help keep our beaches safe and clean
- Alcoholic beverages are not legal on the beach. If you insist on dinking anyway, please have the courtesy of using discreet unmarked containers and clean-up your trash. This will not save you from a ticket, but everyone around you will appreciate it.
Unofficial Rules offered by OCBP members Conor Plasha, Sam Newnam, Cory Raab, Evan Olivia, Andrew Gallagher, John Oves, Kyle Sultzer and Ryan Noseworthy:
- 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.
- If you sit in a guard stand after-hours, please don’t leave your trash there. Would you like it if visitors came into your workplace and left trash behind?
- Stay clear of surf fishermen and women. Those lines are easy to tangle and those hooks are sharp.
Do you have some additional rules that you would our beach goers to keep in mind? If so, visit our Facebook page and share.
