Mornin'! It's 75° in Wildwood NJ. Happy Friday! It's sunny and bright with hardly a breeze (NE at 2-3mph). It'll be another beauty with plenty of sunshine along with some clouds in the mix. Breezes will be mostly out of the E-SE shifting slightly from the SE then again from the S-SE at 3-8mph. Tonight... clear with temps in the low-mid 70s and SE breezes at 7-10mph. Saturday... more of the same. Sunday... more of the same. Monday... more of the same. Tuesday... more of the same.
High tide: 3:36PM
Low tide: 9:06AM
Ocean temp: 73°
Sunset: 8:18PM
UV Index: Very High (9-10)
Rip Currents: Low Risk
And, being Friday it's "beach tips" day...
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 backside 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!
Mornin'! It's 72° in Wildwood NJ. It's sunny and sticky with 87% humidity and 72° dewpoint. Breezes are out of the S-SW at 6-8mph. Expect some sunshine beginning this morning with clouds mixing in a little later. There's a 40-50% chance of scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. Some storms may be severe. Temps will get up into the mid-upper 80s with S-SW breezes at 10-15mph. Tonight... mostly cloudy with rain and/or thunderstorms likely. Temps will drop into the low-70s with West winds at 9-12mph. Chance of rain is 80%. It's the "New Moon" this last day of July. As we see only the dark side of the moon (the moon is practically invisible for the naked eye), this month it's also known as the "Black Moon" since it's the second "new moon" this month. The moon is not reflecting any of the Sun's light because it's lined up between the Earth and Sun. This last day of July, the new Moon is also known as a "supermoon" as it's closest to the Earth during its orbit in this Moon phase. The Tides will be "Extra Large". If at all possible, don't drive through those corrosive tide waters filtering into the streets. It's been a terrific July this year as we bid adieu. Thanks for all the wonderful memories... until next year!
