Friday, June 29, 2018

TGIF Heat Wave

Mornin'!  It's 76° in Wildwood NJ.  It's summertime on the island!  We've got Ms Sun warming us already.  Very light breezes out of the NW at 3-5mph.  The fragrance of the marsh is heavy with summer as we head into a steamy day and weekend.  It's going into the mid-upper 80s today with blue skies and hot sun pouring down as W-SW breezes wift (waft) over the sand at 5-7mph (some Westerly breeze there...don't forget to pack some insect repellent).  Speaking of "sand"...it'll seem like the surface just above the sand will be rippling with heat (don't forget footwear); it's going to be hot.  Humidity will be in the 60-70% range.  Tonight...clear with temps back down into the low-mid 70s with breezes out of the W-SW at 6-8mph.  Tomorrow and Sunday...ditto of today (and could be even warmer as "We're having a heatwave, A tropical heatwave,  The Temperature's rising, It isn't surprising.")
High tide:9:38a.m.
Low tide:3:20p.m.
Ocean temp:71°
UV Index: 9-10 (very high)
Rip Currents: Low risk
Friday Beach Etiquette tips~
~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.
~Don't forget those cigarette butts...collect and trash them.  Or just don't smoke and pollute the lovely sea air. Never stick them in the sand and leave them...that'll be tomorrow's find for the little kid digging in the sand.  Plus, cigarette filters take years to decompose and could be taken to the ocean by the tides giving sea life harmful/toxic cigarette filter tidbits to swallow. Smoking is banned on the Boardwalk in all the towns by the way.
~Remember to pack headphones for your music device (believe it or not no one wants to hear your music).  Big, loud boom boxes are not welcomed on the beach.
~Kindly give your neighbors space when selecting your beach site. Courtesy is key. Careful not to plop only inches from others' blankets/umbrellas.
~Teach children beach etiquette. Running (basically "kicking") nearby others and 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 emotion when holding your sandwich up or out is a magnet for swooping gulls. Dropping one potato chip thoughtlessly 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).  If successful, seagull havoc begins as 40 other gulls come in for a food fight of your scattered lunch.  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.  I mean on the back side of the beach (dune side) or other designated areas is more appropriate for active beach games.  Stay away from those camped out that are simply trying to enjoy their quiet, relaxing beach day.  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 (they're terrific people).
~Let's all enjoy our ocean and beach together! 

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