Visitors Relish Balmy Ocean City Beach Day

By MADDY VITALE The days of summer are waning, with just two weeks left until Labor Day. Visitors to the Ocean City Boardwalk and beaches Sunday enjoyed living in the moment – or day, rather – as they strolled, lounged on the sands and took some refreshing dips in the water to escape the heat. Frank and Mariana Maloney, who live in Cherry Hill and also own a vacation home in Ocean City, had their umbrella set up close to the Boardwalk at the Eighth Street beach and watched as their grandchildren played spike ball. “The weather has been wonderful. The beaches have been full. We’ve been here since 1982,” Frank Maloney noted of how long he and his wife have been vacationing in Ocean City. “Ocean City is a very family-friendly resort. The kids love it,” he added. The Maloney grandchildren enjoy a game of spike ball at Eighth Street beach. Public parking lots were full Sunday. The air temps hovered around the low 80s. And the high humidity made the water, which was a cool 70 degrees, that much more inviting. In recent weeks the water temps have been unseasonably cold, which was caused by an upwell effect, lifeguards have explained. Upwelling is when swells churn up cold water and it rises to the top. It takes a while for the water to warm. Water temps were often in the low 60s until recently. Families splashed in the surf. Some kids coasted along on their boogie boards at the water’s edge as their parents waded in the water nearby. On the boards, families waited in lines for ice cream, pizza and other Boardwalk goodies. Billie and Zach Beggin, of Williamstown, N.J., and their daughters, Finley, left, and Isla enjoy a fun day on the boards. Billie and Zach Beggin, of Williamstown, N.J., and their daughters, Isla, 4, and 2-year-old Finley, were enjoying some relaxing time on the Boardwalk. The adults had pizza and the kids enjoyed chocolate and vanilla ice cream in cups. “We are just down for the day checking everything out,” Billie said with a smile. “We are having a good time.” Zach added, “We want the kids to experience Ocean City.” Another married couple, Amy and Paul Whitman, of Blackwood, N.J., bring their 4-year-old son, Wesley, to the Ocean City Boardwalk often, they said. “We are down just for the day,” Amy said. “We come down all year long.” Paul added, “We just got down here, so we figured we would have some ice cream and wait for the rides to open.” With that, Wesley exclaimed, “I want to go on the rides!” After the ice cream, the rides were next for the Whitmans as they looked to squeeze some more fun out of the remaining days of their summer visits to the shore. Paul and Amy Whitman, of Blackwood, N.J., and their son, Wesley, enjoy some ice cream. Some families wade in the cool water. The Boardwalk bustles.