Mornin'! Happy Summer! 15 hours and 9 minutes long today... the longest day of the year here in the Northern Hemisphere. It's a lovely, sunny, cool, 69 degrees with humidity at 74% and breezes out of the W-NW at 15-20mph in Wildwood NJ this morning. We had some wild weather last evening bringing some strong storms along with a cold front which is making this morning feel more like Autumn than Summer. I'll take it. Yesterday was hot as our thermometer went up to 88° here with that hot sun blaring down and bringing the heat and humidity. I hit the beach and found lots of folks had the same idea as me. The sand was already heating up and difficult to navigate with bare feet. Today... a big change as that humidity has checked out for now and those cool breezes have checked in (W-NW at 15-20mph). Expect this first day of Summer to have abundant sunshine, temps around 80° and West winds at 10-20mph (pack that insect repellent for the biting flies). Tonight... clear, temps around 70° and W-SW winds at 5-10mph. Tomorrow... sunny, temps around 80° with SW winds at 10-15mph. Tomorrow night... mostly clear, temps around 72° and S-SW winds at 10-15mph. Sunday... partly cloudy skies, temps in the mid-80s and SW winds at 10-15mph. Sunday night... clear, temps in the low-70s and W-SW winds at 10-15mph.
High Tide: 3:51PM
Low Tide: 9:20AM
Ocean Temp: 66°
Sunrise: 5:33AM
Sunset: 8:28PM
UV Index: 9:15AM
Rip Current: Moderate
Once again, here are those ol' Friday Beach Tips...
*Beach Stuff - what to pack... bottled water, a spray bottle of water for you never know what, a hat, footwear, towel, sunblock, insect repellent, first aid kit (I include a tiny bottle of vinegar for jelly fish stings), shade (umbrella, canopy of some type), a bungee cord to secure your umbrella for those windy days, something to read, sanitizing wipes, a small trash bag to collect any trash you accumulate.
*When setting up your spot (campsite) at the beach, give those around you a little courtesy and be kind as to not to set up too close to them. It's always amazing to watch arriving folk completely unaware of their actions as they begin setting up their umbrella, blanket and chair only inches away from those folks already settled in and believe it or not, there's no one else yet at the beach except you. It often feels like new arrivals seek out others to sit close to. It happens more often than not and I have yet to figure out this strange phenomenon. There's plenty of beach space for everybody.
*Know your "tide" times. You can always ask the lifeguard as they will know. If the tide is at its highest when you arrive, you can set up right at the water line and watch the beach grow bigger and bigger as the tide recedes into its 6 hour low tide. It takes 6 hours for the tide to go from High to Low and then turn around and begin to go from Low to High (12 hour total). Know your wind direction... if a "West" wind is on the forecast, you can count on the biting greenhead flies as they catch the Westerly "land" breezes and then come looking for you. Always remember to pack that insect repellent along with sunscreen.
*Tips for setting up your umbrella: be aware of the wind direction and wind speed. On a windy day, take those extra steps to secure your umbrella. Umbrellas should be secured at least a foot into the beach sand. Sand screws or sand grabbers are great for securing umbrellas and even better if you dig a hole first before twisting that screw in and then packing it with sand. Also, a bungee cord attaching the umbrella to your cooler or beach cart works wonders. It's not uncommon to see umbrellas launched by the winds and more often than not into unknowing folks who are about to be impaled by an airborne, out of control umbrella. And, while the entire family is in the ocean not realizing that their umbrella is 2 blocks away. Remember, when opening your umbrella... face into the wind. More often than not for some reason, folks turn their back on the wind and open the umbrella. Thus... you now have an inside out umbrella along with those gusts of wind on your hands.
*Beach Etiquette. Wildwood has soft, powdery sand. When you walk directly next to someone who's enjoying their beach visit, your kicked-up sand will almost certainly be tossed all over them; especially if it's breezy. Be conscientious of where you're walking. Teach your children these same courtesies at the beach. Explain that it's not okay to run or chase one another around someone else's blanket or chair. On a breezy day, you will be covered in a light coating of sand thanks to wind but even more so due to some of those thoughtless beach folk. Oh, the same goes for that Suntan lotion... when you use the "spray" sunscreen, be aware of where that spray your using is being directed by the wind and who's receiving full coverage other than yourself.
*If shaking out towels or blankets, be conscious of the wind direction and always shake away from those in the line of your "sand" fire. Toddlers do take off running and it's usually onto anyone's blanket in their path. Here's a bit of advice for parents of toddlers on the beach (1-2 year olds)... bring a "pack-n-play" for them as I can assure you that your beach day will be much more enjoyable with those babes surrounded with toys and snacks in their little mesh, private encampment. I recently saw a young couple of a baby not old enough to walk, dig a round trench about 6" deep and place a piece of plastic (much like a shower curtain) over the 2-3' wide hole and fill it with the ocean water so the babe could be entertained and cooled off in their own little pool. It was an ingenious way to keep the baby happy for a good amount of time.
*Phone use... take it somewhere else. Talking loudly or working on your phone for all of us to share with you really sucks. Phone calls should be taken as far away from the people relaxing on the beach as possible. Go to the Dunes. Trust me, no one wants to hear your conversation; especially "on speaker".
*There is "no smoking" of any type on the beach. There's "no smoking" on the boardwalk. New Jersey has legalized Marijuana and you can smoke it privately on your property but not openly in public. The only Pot dispensaries are in North Cape May and West Cape May and none in Wildwood.
*For the pooches, there are two dog parks right on the beach. At 24th at the Beach in North Wildwood and one in Wildwood between Glenwood and Maple on the Beach. The Glenwood Avenue dog beach has just been rated #1 dog park in the country! Dogs must always be on a leash when not in the dog parks. And, you can walk your dog on the beach when lifeguards are NOT at their posts and only then. No dog walking on the boardwalk at all.
*If you enjoy music on the beach... remember to pack your headphones. Believe it or not, the majority of beach folk would much rather listen to the sounds of the surf; not your choice of music blasting next to them from your Bluetooth speakers. Sorry... but it's something that happens a lot and it sucks.
*Feeding seagulls is a no-no. Eat and snack smartly. Using flailing hands when expressing oneself while holding lunch is a magnet for swooping gulls. Drop just one potato chip and you'll have seagull havoc. Eat conscientiously under your umbrella or chair canopy. Seagulls are vultures and are smart and endlessly eyeing beach goers eating habits. They're relentless in trying to find the opportune moment to swoop down and pluck lunch right out of your hand or mouth (seen it happen many times). By the way, seagulls know "chip bags" and if you have an unsupervised beach bag with chip bags exposed, they'll think nothing of helping themselves to that bag and will share their newly acquired bag of potato chips with all the other gulls while you're in the ocean without a clue.
*Playing ball, Frisbee, horseshoes, corn hole, kite-flying, ladder toss, spike ball, paddle ball, volley ball, Kan-jam, beach darts etc. shouldn't be played by the people sitting nearby. Play ball and games at the back of the beach away from where everyone is sitting (it's only common sense and respectful).
*Observe all posted signs and warnings... Beach closures due to weather, rip currents or storms, surfing only on "surfing" beaches, no alcohol or pot, no dogs or pets. If in doubt, just ask the lifeguards.
*Never leave trash on the beach. Better yet, pick up any that you may see whether it's yours or not. There are many, many trash and recycle containers on the beach and surrounding areas. You might as well use them rather than let all that trash drift off and fly into the ocean for the fish to eat or get tangled in. Remember... whatever the fish eat, we eat too. Plastic is an epidemic. Speaking of plastic... New Jersey no longer has plastic bags at stores and shops. It's now all about bringing your reusable bags when you shop to save the planet from those "fly-away" plastic ones.
*Lastly, be courteous and respectful. Courtesy is key. Be kind and considerate of all those enjoying this beautiful moment at the beach along with you. Keep the profanity at home. It's a lot of fun being at the beach. Let's enjoy together. Happy Beaching!
