The Beach

[2010DigitalBoy]

[COLOR="DarkOrange"]I hate it. I'd rather swim in a swimming pool, I'd rather sit on my back porch, i'd rather play frisbee in a field. Oh, and I'd rather pee in a toilet.

Anyway, every time i go to the beach, something terrible happens to me. It all really began one year when we were visiting North Carolina since my grandma is manager of a motel at the beach and we go there every year. This was 2 or 3 years ago, i believe.

In that day i was badly sunburned despite wearing sunblock (so much so that i spent a whole day afterward not moving), nearly broke my neck in a boogieboard bail, was stung by jellyfish on the inside of my thigh, and a needle from a small cactus lodged into my foot without my knowlege and when i woke up from a short nap I couldn't walk on my foot anymore.

Now, before that, i loved the beach. in fact, in the previous summer my dad took me to the beach almost every day for a month. But ever since that day of bad luck, I've managed to get injured in some way or horribly sunburned every time i go to the beach.

Well, today, my family and my brother's friend went to the beach for about 4 hours. It wasn't that bad - the bay water was nasty, the rip tide was insanley strong to the point that I would jump in the water and find myself 20 feet away when I surfaced, the waves were weak... but we were having fun anyway - or at least it was a good chance to get out of the house for a bit.

Until a shocking discovery!!!!! I completely forgot that I had left my mom's ipod in my trunks pocket the entire time! Now luckily it's an ipod nano she won from work that she's used like once and i've used a zillion times, but I still owe her a hundred dollars. Poseidon has it out for me, i swear.

So, what's your opinion on the beach and/or memorable experiences there. Do you live in a country where you don't get sick for 24 hours after going in the water? Discuss. Also, if you want, post pictures >_>[/COLOR]

[Zen]

[color=darkred][size=1]

Historically I never really liked the beach. Then I picked up surfing not to long ago and my opinion did a 180. I love it now, because having a surf board on the beach automatically makes you cool and admirable. I love it, despite being very inexperienced.

There are cons though. The nether regions get nastily pruned and it is painful. But I still love it. Try it, you'll like it.

I don't usually burn too badly. I actually just got back from the beach and bronzed up pretty nice, but then again, I'm Greek, so my disposition is to go brown instead of red. Probably the only red/auburn haired person in the world who does that, haha. Thank you, gene pool.

PS- If you can't surf, boogie-board. Next best alternative.[/color][/size]

[Aberinkula]

[COLOR="Navy"]Don't even get me started. The beach is horrid for me! First of all, I'm afraid of big bodies of water. A regular pool, I'm fine. plus I can't swin, I was afraid of water most of my life due to my lungs.

This sunday I stayed the night with one of my friends. He threw me into the water, but besides that I stayed on the rim of the pool.

As for teh beach water, it make my "you know what" very itchy adn my skin wil peel, I hate that. Someone threw a dead fish at my friend, so I hate going iot the beach water because of what's been dead in there. Also my friend threw me into the beach. I'm very throwable. As well as the fact that I'm short, so water isn't my friend out there. But the view is an "ooohhhh" and "aweee" type of thing were I live.

I like to chase the seagulls too. >_> But I hate the beach with psssion!!![/COLOR]

[Skye]

[size=1][color=blue]o.o I feel so sorry for you, DB.

I'm a personal fan of the ocean. I remember a time when I read too many shark stories and was too scared, not so much anymore. I've always tanned instead of burning, except for right across my nose. XD

Last time I went to the beach was a couple weeks ago with my aunt, my mom, my brother and my cousin. The waves were awesome, and we kept trying to dive under them as they came crashing down. I mean, seriously, we'd ride some of the swells and be twenty feet up. A couple times I misjudged and got slammed into the sand, but mostly we just got carried back to shore. Heh, we'd start out in front of our blanket, duck under wave, and be all the way down the beach. One little kid almost lost his boogieboard because he wasn't paying attention.

Once, we wanted to go to the beach but my parents wouldn't let us because the entire beach was covered in jellyfish. We were watching these kids play catch with the things. It was interesting.

So, since we live no where near a beach, we have a pool in our backyard. This summer the pool kinda got dirty, though and we can't seem to get it clean, so no swimmage. :animesigh[/size][/color]

[Dagger]

I like the beach. Not the nasty crowded ones--give me a quiet beach without too many broken shells to cut up your feet.

Being in the sand & water is just part of it; half the fun is being inside when one of those spectacular summer thunderstorms comes along. Playing video games in a room from which you can hear the sound of the waves. Waking up with that smell in your nose. Going walking for crabs when it gets dark. Playing Cranium and Apples to Apples and Spades. Eating Krispy Kremes and cooking hush puppies. Watching the Weather Channel when there's nothing else to do. Playing miniature golf at one of those cheesy courses. Driving to a small-time theater to watch a movie you'd never have bothered with at home.

I'll be at the beach for a week starting on the 21st. Very much looking forward to it.

~Dagger~

[Goodbye, Face]

[font=arial][size=1]My parents are really cheap and don't like vacations that don't have to do with visiting our family. So uhh... despite living about an hour or two from the coast, I haven't been to a beach in over a decade. :(

I only have one really strong memory, and that was at some beach in Florida. Basically I was way out in the water and I noticed a jellyfish right next to me. I tried to calmly move away, but of course every movement you make just forms a current of water towards you. Being like eight at the time, I was crying, being chased by this jellyfish, haha.

I burn up ridiculously easy, like DB. During the summer I can usually only spend like half an hour out in the sun at a time without turning tomato red the next day. My parents can tan all they want but I've turned anything but red.[/font][/size]

[Claire]

[FONT="Arial"]I also hate the beach. It may just be the crappy beaches I've been to here, but I honestly have no fun when my family goes to one. The past few times we stayed at the beach, I remained in the hotel room nearly the entire time, leaving only to go out to eat. (The TV did have a built in Nintendo and I managed to beat Pokemon Snap in exactly 59 minutes, but I digress.)

I bet I can complain about pretty much everything at the beach:

1. The sand. I can't stand having sand stuck to my body or in my clothes, so even walking on the shoreline is unpleasant. Besides, Florida sand is always HOT. Ew.

2. The sun. Apart from being often times blindingly bright and uncomfortably hot, the sun pretty much murders my skin. I've gotten slightly sunburnt just from sitting outside for thirty minutes at lunch--even while wearing long pants and a jacket. I'm sure if I risked spending any amount of time at the beach, with it not only burning down from above but reflecting off the water, I would start sizzling.

3. The water. Every beach I've been to has been on the Gulf of Mexico, which is always warm and salty. I really don't enjoy swimming whatsoever, but the gulf is the worst place I can think of to do it. I'm scared to death of any kind of sea-life, whether it's sting rays, jellyfish, sharks, and even whales (which I don't think live in the gulf, but I'm still afraid of them). Once I was standing in the water near the shore, and a massive school of sting rays barreled past me. I freaked out and nearly flew out of the water, and I don't think I've been back in the gulf ever since.

I'm pretty sure I had other stuff to whine about but I lost my train of thought. Oh well. Waaah, waaah, waaaah.[/FONT]

[Japan]

[COLOR="DarkRed"]Personally, I love the beach. I prefer a pool or lake when I really want to swim. But for wading, and other beach type activities that are not swimimg, I love it. I can swim, or rather I am not a strong swimmer.

I love the beach at night and during storms. I find it really romantic to walk along the beach at night. I love the sound of water because it relaxes me. (Rain, rivers, waterfalls, ocean) Otherwise I perfer rainforests and mountains.[/COLOR]

[Fyxe]

[size=1]I've never really been to an actual beach. Maybe once, a long time ago. I usually go to lakes, or rivers. The sand is fun to walk on, looking for shells. But I'd never [i]swim[/i] in lake/river/ocean.

The only memories I have are of me and my younger brother walking by a river, and he got mad at me because I found prettier shells than him. :p[/size]

[DeathKnight]

[color=crimson]Texas' beaches are awesome. Unfortunately due to climate change there is the possibility they won't be here forever but uh, for now they rock. Corpus Christi, Port A, Galveston, South Padre. All a short drive away.

I'm not sure about all these beach nay sayers. Nothing quite beats the beach at night for me, especially if you are situated right along it and you can open up the window to your hotel/condo to let the sound of the waves just lull you to sleep.

I'm not much for just sitting on the beach, but I going out bay fishing or deep sea fishing is a trip as well. Deep sea you pull up some interesting stuff from the ocean's depths.. this is only applicable if you don't get sea sick though. I've watched people try to get on boats and the looks on their faces as they slowly realize they're getting sea sick. Nasty business.

I can burn easy but I use good sunblock and reapply often enough to limit my burns to almost nada. I'm pretty white around the shoulder/back area too so it'd be pretty easy to just fry me without sunblock. When I do slip up and reapply too late or just ignore it I regret it though.

I'm not really one to go swimming in the ocean either, it just doesn't interest me as much as taking a swim in a pool or freshwater rivers/lakes for some reason. I could see some interest in snorkeling somewhere.. maybe once or twice.

Anyway, plenty to do at the beach other than just sitting and staring at it.[/color]

[Jiazu]

Hmm.... beaches.. well, they're alright I guess... I've never actually swum in the ocean though, since I can hardly swim, and I'm pretty sure I'd die a horrible salty death. So I pretty much just sit and watch people, or read, or sit in the sun and laugh at the sunburnt people (yes, mean, I know... but lobster-people are funny :) ), or wade in the ocean (if it's one of those nice, peaceful, tiny-wave beaches) Very boring of me...

I think beaches are best when you're actually staying on the beach for a vacation instead of just going for a day. If you just go for a day, then you wind up with sand everywhere, and it's no fun... I had sand stuck between the two layers of my swimsuit for months after one particularly sand-filled beach trip... For some reason when it's a vacation, the sand isn't so bad.. but maybe that's just because I get used to it or something...

[Flagg]

Well it isn't all that bad I guess to go to the beach. I don't really care for the beach itself that much but I don't hate it either. I went to the beach with some friends last weekend actually and it turned out to be an alright trip. I live about an hour and a half away from the beach and it is considerably cooler by the beach then where I live so thats a plus. Oh and you can't forget the half naked chicks and the occasional faulty bikini (I might add that there were 2 cases of this on my last trip).

[Starwind]

I live in the sunshine state and I love the beach. For me the beach is a way of life. I fish, surf, snorkel, scuba, parasail, just about anything that is and can be done at the beach. I practically live on water.

It baffels me how anyone can hate the beach, but I do know an awful lot of people do. Even my own mother hates the beach. Perhaps my greatest passion is fishing, and no I'm not a total redneck. I know is basically man trying to out smart a fish, but I find it calming and enjoyable. And the best part, I've spent so much of my life out at the beach that my skin has gotten so dark that I almost never burn anymore. Seriously, I can spend 8-9 hours at the beach with no shirt and waist deep in water and never burn. How can you beat that?

[TheResplendent]

[FONT="Tahoma"]Hm, I'm amazed actually at how many people dislike the beach. I'm not much of a fan of a scorching hot day as everyone else is but if I can stand it, i'd rather be somewhere I can cool down and hang out with a bunch of girls wearing small bikinis freely. Granted some days are just too hot, and the air conditioning inside the house seems appealing...and hell that works for me too. But the beach is great as long as you aren't self conscious about how you look (and even if you are, i garauntee you there is someone else at that beach bigger then you, and running around with his shirt off proudly with his love handles swinging about). Around here it's just like that, you go to the beach and there are people who look good, and people who don't, but nobody cares about how bad ya look because they're just doing what everyone else is to cool down or have fun.

I love the beach near me, it's big with a handball court on each side of it. So I can switch from hanging out on the sand or humiliating people on the handball court. I still have to plan a few beach days for the summer around my work schedule and what not. [/FONT]

[SunfallE]

[COLOR="goldenrod"]I love the beach, that's the one thing I miss from when I lived in California. I loved that every day I got up and went to work the ocean was my view upon leaving the house or that the drive home was of the sun setting on the waves. And all the hours I spent just lounging around on the sand and listening to the water was fantastic. I've never been into surfing or much in the way of swimming, but I still loved going there. Oh and I do swim just in a pool not the ocean.

Now my trips to the beach are reduced to when I go and visit relatives in Beaverton Orgeon. Since after I'm done there I go with my family to Seaside and spend a few days there before heading home. We always pick one of the hotels right along the beach. I love the view and sleeping at night with the balcony sliding door open and listening to the waves. As well as taking long walks along the beach before heading back in for the day.

When I retire, I want to get a nice cozy little beach house and waste lots of hours sitting on the front porch listening to the ocean and enjoying the sea air. :catgirl:[/COLOR]

[Wet Cement]

[COLOR="DarkOrange"]I hate the beach.

And I like the water and sea-life and all that fun stuff. I hate the beach for two reasons:

ONE - The sand. The ****ing sand. Gets everywhere and it angers me; in your trunks, in your toes, and everywhere else that's wet. And I can't stand it. Sand pisses me off.

TWO - The heat. Most beaches are at least somewhat warm, and I hate that. Anything above 20C is too hot for me, and almost all beaches are like that. I can't understand the appeal - I can get sweaty and agitated without leaving my bedroom, why would I compound the problem by getting covered in sand?

BONUS - Beach people enrage me. That's a generalization that I've yet to see proved false.[/COLOR]

[strwpoptart]

[FONT="Palatino Linotype"][COLOR="Green"]I love the beach! I always have since I was little. My parents used to belong to a beach club and we would go there everyday. It had pools, as well as the ocean, tennis courts, playgrounds, day camp, a huge cafeteria, volleyball courts, etc. You name it. Anyway it was really fun when we were younger, but now its really expensive and not that fun 'cause there really aren't that many people my age there (16-25). Its mostly little kids now and old people, so its not as fun.

I still love going to the beach though. Don't get me wrong I hate the sun and the heat just like everyone else, but once in a while I like to lay down on a towel, read my book, and try and get a tan. When u get really hot I jump in the ocean and swim for a little while. I love all and any body of water. Since I was little I am a little fish. I love the water. I can't wait to find some time off and go to the beach with friends this summer. My goal is to go at least once lol ^^ I have 3 jobs so its hard to find time off and even harder to find a day when me and all my friends are off at the same time. OOO I'm getting giddy thinking about it I can't wait![/COLOR][/FONT]

[Udon]

[FONT="Arial"][SIZE="2"][COLOR="Lime"]I like the beach too, with all of the stuff you can do there. Like you can go swiming, make a hudge sand castle, bury someone in the sand, and pock dead jellyfishes with a stick!

But there are somethings that I dont like too. For example, when your swiming in the ocean and this hudge wave gets salt in your eeys, nose, and occasionaly the mouth. Which is very unpleasent[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[Rachmaninoff]

The only thing I hate about the beach is that I don't live next to it. I've only been a few times, but it was great fun. Far more interesting than visiting a lake. It's great to catch it on days when there's at least semi decent waves to either wade in or simply watch. And if you've got a bunch of friends, nothing beats having a party together and just hanging out.

Like I said, it's too bad I've only gotten to go a few times. I'd probably spend a lot more time at the beach if I lived close to it. Heh.

[James]

[color=#606060]I think something like 90% of Australians live near a coastline...so you can imagine what my response to this would be, haha.

I can't imagine not having easy access to some sort of beach or coastline. Having lived in one suburb that was quite far from any water (in Queensland), I really had a feeling of isolation almost. I'm not sure how to describe it, but there is something almost liberating about being able to see the ocean. *shrug*

Not to mention that Australia has thousands and thousands of miles of some of the world's best beaches. That helps too.[/color]

[Horendithas]

[COLOR="Indigo"][quote name='James'][color=#606060]I can't imagine not having easy access to some sort of beach or coastline. Having lived in one suburb that was quite far from any water (in Queensland), I really had a feeling of isolation almost. I'm not sure how to describe it, but there is something almost liberating about being able to see the ocean. *shrug*[/color][/QUOTE]Well, not having easy access to an ocean is just the norm for a lot of Americans. And I really don't remember the beach all that well. Sure I've seen one a few times, but I've never really gotten to go to one and spend time there. I certainly want to.

However, since I've lived around mountains all my life, being in an area that is for all intents and purposes flat, has a similar effect. It feels like you're in the twilight zone after a while without those huge peaks in view. And just seeing them, especially when you have time to go hiking and such, has a very calming and soothing effect. ;)[/COLOR]

[Rachmaninoff]

Oh you could technically say we live near a beach Crystia. The Great Salt Lake State Park/Saltair Beach. But having been to the ocean it's just not the same. But I suppose it's better than nothing right? And for an inland salty lake, the largest in the western hemisphere to be exact, the sunsets over the lake can be breathtaking. And with beautiful turquoise waters and white sandy beaches, it is popular with swimmers and sunbathers. :p Still in the end I liked the other beaches better. lol

[2010DigitalBoy]

[quote name='Rachmaninoff']Oh you could technically say we live near a beach Crystia. The Great Salt Lake State Park/Saltair Beach. But having been to the ocean it's just not the same. But I suppose it's better than nothing right? And for an inland salty lake, the largest in the western hemisphere to be exact, the sunsets over the lake can be breathtaking. And with beautiful turquoise waters and white sandy beaches, it is popular with swimmers and sunbathers. :p Still in the end I liked the other beaches better. lol[/QUOTE]

[COLOR="DarkOrange"]Swiming in the [B]Atlantic [/B]is like swimming in a giant toilet. Completely freaking disgusting. The water [i]looks[/i] disgusting, and on some days the smell is disgusting as well. I lvive right near the ocean (lol, [B]Virginia Beach[/B]) and it is a huge tourist spot, but I can't see how anyone can tolerate it. The place is always crowded and smelly and crap.. I hate the ocean especially...

When my family goes to the beach, we usually go in the [B]Chesepeak Bay[/B], or where I used to live in the [B]James River[/B]. Both are pretty disgusting themselves (especially the river) but less crowded and less of the sense that the water is going to give you cancer XD (although actually, swiming in the James is likely to give you some kind of mutation, lol)[/COLOR]

[Rachmaninoff]

Well DB, I've never been to the Atlantic ocean but rather the Pacific. :p And the spots I've been to were in Oregon. You'll probably recognize one of them Beth since you mentioned Seaside. I've been there a few times since I have some relatives who live in the area. Not right by the shore but close enough and I love the beach there. I don't get to go anywhere near as often as I'd like. I tend to avoid the beach near the main hotels in that town since going either up the coast a bit or down gets you a lot more privacy and it's equally as beautiful.

Not only are the small towns nice and fairly quiet, the food there is great and there's lots of nice places to get seafood and yet still have a good view of the ocean while you enjoy dinner. I could easily spend weeks and weeks hanging out in the area of Seaside Oregon.

[Gavin]

[SIZE="1"]Personally I love the beach as I've had some really great memories there, from hanging out with friends, to romantic walks with current and ex girlfriends or even just memories of when I was a kid with my family. I will agree with DB though, the sand is one of the biggest pains and it seems to take an inordinate amount of time to get clean. And I don't know what's wrong with your side of the pond, but ours only suffers from being really freaking cold.[/SIZE]

[quote name='James'][color=#606060]Not to mention that Australia has thousands and thousands of miles of some of the world's best beaches. That helps too.[/color][/QUOTE]

[SIZE="1"]Indeed, Ireland has some of the best beaches in Europe and it really shows, at least when we get the weather, which unfortunately hasn't been happening this year.[/SIZE]