Friday, July 5, 2019

It's Friday! Happy 4th Of July Long Weekend!

Mornin'!  It's 77° in Wildwood NJ.  We're under hazy, cloudy skies at the moment with not much in breezes (SE 4-6mph).  It's humid - 95% humidity with a dewpoint of 76°.  It'll be a partly cloudy kickoff for today followed by partial clearing as it'll be a partly sunny day with temps in the mid-upper 80s.  Breezes will kick up and be out of the S-SE at 10-20mph (remember the umbrella bungee).  There's the possibility of a stray shower and/or thunderstorm today (15-20% chance) this afternoon.  Tonight... there's a 30% chance of scattered showers as temps drop back to the mid-70s with S-SW breezes at 10-15mph.  The weekend's looking mostly cloudy with possible peeks of sun and 30-40% chance of rain showers throughout both days.
High tide: 10:55AM
Low tide: 4:37PM
Ocean temp: 70°
UV Index: Very High (10)
Rip Currents: Low Risk
And, it's Friday and you know what that means!
Friday Beach Tips and Beach Etiquette...
~Important things to pack for the beach... water, (I also have a small spray bottle of fresh water for you never know what), hat, footwear, towel, sunblock, insect repellent, first aid kit, and shade (umbrella or sand chair with a canopy), something to read and I enjoy taking my crocheting, oh... and a small trash bag to collect any trash you may have accumulated while there.
~When planting an umbrella be aware of wind speed as you may have to take extra steps to secure it such as sand (screw) grabber or bungee cord.  It's pretty amazing how not secure some umbrellas can be as the wind launches them directly toward unknowing folks relaxing right in the line of fire. 
~Note the tide times when going to the beach.  If the tide is at it's highest, you can sit as close to the water as you want as the tide will take the entire day to go down to low tide.  You'll literally sit and watch the beach grow as the water slowly recedes a block or more away.  
~A new beach posting is there's "No Smoking" on the beach anymore.  That includes "vapes" and especially "cigars".  Some beaches do have designated areas posted.  Look for signs.  There's also "No Smoking" on the boardwalk.  I think most of the seaside towns up and down the coast have passed this new law.
~Kindly give your beach neighbors space when selecting your beach campsite. Courtesy is key. Careful not to plop only inches from others' blankets/umbrellas. 
~No dogs allowed on the beach (except for the wonderful dog beaches the Wildwoods provide). 
~Never leave trash on the beach and even better yet...pick up any that you see whether it's yours or not.   Note trash and recycle containers are situated everywhere.
~Remember to pack headphones for your music device or at least keep the volume down to a minimum (believe it or not no one really wants to hear your music not to mention your beach neighbor just might be quietly trying to listen to their own music).  
~Teach children beach etiquette. Running (basically "kicking" up sand) as well as throwing sand is a no-brainer but sometimes you'd never know it.  
~Feeding the seagulls is a big no-no. Eat and snack smartly. Using hands to express oneself when holding your sandwich up or out is a magnet for swooping gulls. Dropping one potato chip carelessly while eating will create seagull havoc. Eat under your umbrella or hooded sand chair as the seagulls are much like vultures and are endlessly eyeing beachgoers eating habits.  They're relentless trying to find the right opportune moment to swoop down and pluck your lunch right out of your hand or mouth (seen it happen many times).  By the way, seagulls know "chip bags" and if they see one sticking out of your unsupervised beach bag, they will think nothing of helping themselves and remove the bag of chips from your bag as well as share their newly acquired snacks with their gull friends while you're taking a walk or a dip (seen it happen many times).
~Playing ball, frisbee, horseshoes, corn hole, or kite-flying, etc is a no-no at the beach.  The back side of the beach (dune side) or other designated areas are more appropriate for active beach games.  Stay away from those camped out that are simply trying to enjoy their beach day and knock yourself out.  The beach patrol will probably stop you if playing in the wrong area anyway.  
~Shake towels and blankets away from others noting the wind direction.
~Observe and follow posted beach warnings (closed beaches, no alcohol, strong rip currents, surfboard/boogie board area, etc) and always pay attention to lifeguards.  If in doubt...ask the lifeguard.

~Couresty is key.  Be kind to one another.  Happy Beaching!

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