How to Social Distance at the Beach

Whether you are living on the coast, or within driving distance, do not let Covid keep you away from experiencing a beach day (or 20) this summer. Listen, there is just no way you are going to keep us off of the beach during the warmer months, even during a pandemic. How do we do this, and also social distance? Well, let us give you some tips!

First, when you are planning the perfect beach day, don’t be a dummy! Don’t venture to the most crowded beach where there is going to be no option but to breathe in the germs that are bountiful by all of the other beachgoers. The key is to go to the hidden gems, the places where there are not as many cars, tourists, nor publicized photos on social media. These are the beaches that are more enjoyable, even outside of a pandemic. If you drive along the coastal highways, you can see random beach accesses that may have parking that is across the street from the dunes. These are pretty good. For some reason, not a lot of people want to walk 100 yards or so to the beach, so these are the places to look for. Also, if you go to places that are not close to hotels- again, beach accesses that are not great for parking near them, you can park at a local retail spot and ride your bike to the access. If you don’t have a way to transport your bike, or don’t have it with you at the beach, then either rent one, or rent a golf cart on your vacay. You can easily get to the beach accesses with a golf cart or bike.

An even better way to access beaches that have little to no guests is by boat. You don’t necessarily have to own a boat, but you can pay a boat owner, or charter a boat to go to a little island access on the sound side where you have your own private space. If you have a boat, you can venture to a sandbar and hang for most of the day, until the water reaches your chair, and you run out of sand- THE BEST!

Ok, so let’s say none of those options work for you, and you are going to a beach where there are people… get defensive. Really, we know the beach is about relaxing, but trust us, if you stay on the defensive with these tips, you will be good to go with having your own space to relax and have fun in the sun!

Here we go:

1. Get to the beach early so you can stand your ground (or sand), at your perfect beach spot.
2. Bring your umbrella, towels/beach blanket, cooler, and anything else you can carry. This isn’t traditionally our style since we like to venture to the beach with water and a towel, but these are different times, folks.
3. Wear your mask, if you find yourself venturing past groups, but if you arrive early, this shouldn’t be an issue. Two reasons for this- (1) You are protecting yourself and others, (2) People may be more apt to stay away from you if you are wearing a mask on the beach. 😉
4. Once you find your spot, preferably at least 20 feet away from someone, again, arrive early and this shouldn’t be a problem, take all of your items and set them up. Lie your towels down, put your umbrella in the sand a few feet away from your towels, take your bag and cooler and spread those out a few more feet away from your towel. We bring an extra towel, just to put all of our other stuff on, like sunscreen, water bottles, and books. No one knows that there isn’t a third person there. The point is, take up space. It may sound like a bitchy thing to do, but do you know what is a total bitch? Covid!

Easy peasy, right?! Right. The last thing I will add is that once you find that sacred spot on the coast, that no one else knows about, don’t tell anyone. We recently found a spot where very few people go, and we’re not sharing it, so hopefully as the summer progresses, we don’t have to worry about these steps any further. Either way, don’t let Covid keep you away from the beach. If you follow these recommendations for social distancing at the beach, you will have a grand, beachgoing summer!