With many of the country’s beaches closed during peak season in 2020, you might be more excited than ever to head to the ocean this summer. But with vaccines just beginning to roll out across the nation and the hope of some normalcy by the end of summer or early fall, you still have to take precautions at the beach. Luckily, with a few small tips, you can still have your toes in the sand and soak in the sun this year. It’s just going to take a little bit more planning than usual.
Stay Home If You Don’t Feel Well
It might go without saying, but if you’re feeling under the weather, don’t head to the beach. Not only will you be uncomfortable in the heat, but you could pass along a possible sickness to someone else while you’re there. The bottom line is that it’s just not worth the risk. If everyone follows this rule, the chance of transmission will remain low, and beachgoers can enjoy their time in the water.
Contact Your Beach for Protocols
Before you plan your day trip to catch some waves, contact your local beach and see what they’re doing to keep people safe. Are they sanitizing the beach chairs between uses? Do they require everyone to wear a mask, including the lifeguards?
They might have their protocols posted on a local website, but if not, give them a call and see what CDC guidelines they’re following to make your stay safe and fun.
Bring Your Mask and Chair
The CDC recommends that you wear a mask while you’re not in the water, so be sure to bring at least one. It’s a good idea to bring a spare mask in case one gets wet or covered in sand, which can make mask-wearing uncomfortable and ineffective. It’s also a good idea to bring your own chair or just sit on a towel in the sand instead. Even if the beach workers sanitize the chairs between uses, it’s better to only use your own for now, if possible.
You don’t want to bring anything valuable to worry about, like your unique estate diamond jewelry or anything else you don’t want to lose. You want all your concentration to be on your safety and the safety of your family, so leave your precious items at home.
Visit During Off-Peak Hours
Even if the beach you plan to visit has acceptable protocols in place, you still don’t want to be shoulder-to-shoulder with other people at the beach. Social distancing is a crucial element to reducing the spread of the coronavirus and will remain so for the foreseeable future. So, visit the beach during off-peak times to lessen the possibility of large crowds, which would prevent you from keeping your distance.
Try visiting early in the morning or early evening and heading home for a break from the sun for a meal while you let the crowds come and go. Sure, part of the beach’s charm is the atmosphere and the people, but this time around, the sand and surf will have to suffice for your enjoyment.
Enjoy Your Fun in the Sun
Things at the beach will be a lot different this year than what you’re used to, but if we all want to get back to carefree beach time, this step is necessary. Look at it this way, at least the beaches are open, and you can feel the beachy breeze on your face and hear the waves crash in front of you instead of just dreaming about being there. And who knows, next year might be even better.
