Wonderful family vacation...discouraged by beach issues

Sandestin . Topsail . WaterColor . Seaside . Rosemary Beach . Carillon Beach

More chairs, umbrellas, boards, boats than you know what to do with.

That is what a beach resort does and always has done. Provide their guests with beach services. When you stay there this is expected. And usually very well managed by the resort to accommodate guests and to look inviting. I love the stretch of umbrellas at these places. I don't stay there or go there. But it is part of the scene.

Other beaches need to be as regulated as possible to keep beaches pristine and free from an abundance of stuff. Including signs and beach setups. Keep our beaches beautiful.

Beachmana, I understand! We have been coming several times a year for over a decade with our kids and won’t any longer due to the ridiculous vendor situation and now the almost unbelievable Customary Use issue. I have 30a art in my home that I’ve purchased there, professional photography hanging over our fireplace and throughout our home from local photographers, jewelry from The Zoo Gallery, books from The Hidden Lantern, ...it’s so much a part of who we are as a family and it’s heartbreaking. I have to chuckle at our pictures of Rosemary Beach 10 years ago with one small row of umbrellas in June. Now it’s $450 a week for the privilege of sitting on the third row. And the ads that Sowal runs on Facebook showing tranquil beaches with no vendors almost seems like false advertising.

And I don’t even know what to say about Customary Use. What on earth?? We are researching a beach property to buy but now have to look in Orange Beach, Fairhope or possibly South Padre because who wants to deal with the double whammy of vendors and NO TRESPASSING! signs during a vacation?

Anyway, I’m just so sorry for the regular people who live there who might be losing rental money because of this. I’m still trying to wrap my head around somebody thinking this was a good idea.

Beachmana, I understand! We have been coming several times a year for over a decade with our kids and won’t any longer due to the ridiculous vendor situation and now the almost unbelievable Customary Use issue. I have 30a art in my home that I’ve purchased there, professional photography hanging over our fireplace and throughout our home from local photographers, jewelry from The Zoo Gallery, books from The Hidden Lantern, ...it’s so much a part of who we are as a family and it’s heartbreaking. I have to chuckle at our pictures of Rosemary Beach 10 years ago with one small row of umbrellas in June. Now it’s $450 a week for the privilege of sitting on the third row. And the ads that Sowal runs on Facebook showing tranquil beaches with no vendors almost seems like false advertising.

And I don’t even know what to say about Customary Use. What on earth?? We are researching a beach property to buy but now have to look in Orange Beach, Fairhope or possibly South Padre because who wants to deal with the double whammy of vendors and NO TRESPASSING! signs during a vacation?

Anyway, I’m just so sorry for the regular people who live there who might be losing rental money because of this. I’m still trying to wrap my head around somebody thinking this was a good idea.

@dragonflycafe Many moons ago my father was the Chief of police for South Padre Island. While the beaches are not sandy white and the water is not a clear emerald green like it is here, there is much to be said for the tiny island I use to call home. They have 30 miles of beaches unencumbered by CU signs and vendors taking up miles of public access.

In 1979 The Town of South Padre Island passed the resolution which set forth he Open Beaches Act, the Dune Protection Act insuring that those beaches would always remain accessible to the public while at the same time protecting the dunes.

The town of South Padre also established a building line, commonly referred to as the Historic Building Line, for the Town of South Padre Island Beachfront Construction that would provide a minimum of two hundred feet of open beach above the mean low tide line to ensure the protection of the State's open beaches.

In the 90's South Padre also began began significant beach re nourishment efforts that further insured the beaches would always remain open to the public.

A lot has changed since I was there as a young adult and its grown significantly but they assuredly don't have CU or beach vendor issues.

"Public Beach" in Texas means any beach bordering on the Gulf of Mexico that extends inland from the line of mean low tide to the natural line of vegetation bordering on the seaward shore of the Gulf of Mexico, or such larger contiguous area to which the public has acquired a right of use or easement to or over by prescription, dedication, or estoppel, or has retained a right by virtue of continuous right in the public since time in memorial as recognized by law or custom. This definition does not include a beach that is not accessible by a public road or ferry as provided in Section 61.021 of the Texas Natural Resources Code.

Seaside vendors claim a forgotten contract allows them more setup space at Seaside. We go down early 7:00 or so & stay there until noon or so depending on water/weather. We use to ride our bikes first then go to the beach by 10:00. Can’t do that anymore....will return soon for our 4th visit this year. Too expensive also. Should go other places instead of ‘just’ beach trips? Ellen

That is what a beach resort does and always has done. Provide their guests with beach services. When you stay there this is expected. And usually very well managed by the resort to accommodate guests and to look inviting. I love the stretch of umbrellas at these places. I don't stay there or go there. But it is part of the scene.

Other beaches need to be as regulated as possible to keep beaches pristine and free from an abundance of stuff. Including signs and beach setups. Keep our beaches beautiful.

So, can people also or alternately bring their own chairs/umbrellas to set up and sit on the beaches at Sandestin, Tops’l, Watercolor, Seaside, Rosemary Beach, Carillon Beach [and Alys Beach and Watersound]?

If all of the beaches are public beaches, then it seems that it wouldn’t be legal for any entity, resort/vendor or otherwise, to say they or their vendors can set up stuff on the beach there but other individuals can’t.

So, can people also or alternately bring their own chairs/umbrellas to set up and sit on the beaches at Sandestin, Tops’l, Watercolor, Seaside, Rosemary Beach, Carillon Beach [and Alys Beach and Watersound]?

If all of the beaches are public beaches, then it seems that it wouldn’t be legal for any entity, resort/vendor or otherwise, to say they or their vendors can set up stuff on the beach there but other individuals can’t.

I agree and i think resort employees with polo shirts and a baseball cap that says security on it should be told to go home.

I agree and i think resort employees with polo shirts and a baseball cap that says security on it should be told to go home.

I’m sure the founding fathers of our republic never fathomed cabana boys in polo shirts being the constitutional arbiters of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness!

So, can people also or alternately bring their own chairs/umbrellas to set up and sit on the beaches at Sandestin, Tops’l, Watercolor, Seaside, Rosemary Beach, Carillon Beach [and Alys Beach and Watersound]?

If all of the beaches are public beaches, then it seems that it wouldn’t be legal for any entity, resort/vendor or otherwise, to say they or their vendors can set up stuff on the beach there but other individuals can’t.

Set your alarm for 5:30am ( yes even on vacation) claim your water front spot and hope the vendor Mafia doesn’t move your stuff and replace with their set up for paying customers after you leave...

Set your alarm for 5:30am ( yes even on vacation) claim your water front spot and hope the vendor Mafia doesn’t move your stuff and replace with their set up for paying customers after you leave...

But I think the issue is starting to surface as being “paying customers” or GHOST “paying customers.” THAT is what is cutting into the scarce resource of waterfront beach sand, and the underlying problem is the OVERMARKETING of this area at the expense of people who live here, people who have vacationed here for decades, and most importantly, the environment.

Why can't tourist carry their chairs and umbrellas to the beach each day like the lowly locals?

My husband and I love our time on 30A’s gorgeous beaches, so we are very concerned about the beach issues. We drive from St. Louis once or twice a year to stay on 30A. We used to bring chairs and an umbrella, but they do take up space in our Honda Civic. Also, as we have aged, carrying so much stuff to the beach is a bit of a challenge, so we do love being able to rent a beach set up. We are a bit confused by the customary use issue. Is this about the beach vendors? We thought it was also about beach-front homeowners restricting beach access. Can someone enlighten us, please? I tried sending an email and pictures today, but apparently the mailbox is full, so my letter and photos were not sent. I’ll ry again tomorrow or Tuesday.

We just returned from our annual family vacation in sowal. In the 28 years that we have vacationed in the area we have grown from a family of 5 to a family of 17! Our time together with our family which inclueds 8 grand children is priceless. I am saddened to say that because of the ridiculous issues that are going on with cusomary use and beach chair vendors I am researching other areas. In order to get a space on the beach so that we could keep close tabs on our grandchildren, we had to get up at 5:30 AM to be on the beach before the beach chair company, 30A-Shade. We have small, traditional umbrellas and chairs that we transport with us year after year. Our hearts are saddened by the conditions created by the customary use issue. I am working on completing the affidavid and sending pics of our vacations dating back to 1991. I am hoping that someone takes notice and changes are made...we love sowal and don’t want to have to search for a new vacation place.
The picture of the beach chairs at the water’s edge show how we sandwiched ourselves between the vendors...we are the small umbrellas! We stayed in a 6 bedroom home in Summer’s Edge near Eastern Lake. Our beach access was at Ramsgate.

The owner of the beach chairs mentioned in this post is a County Commissioner's son.

My husband and I love our time on 30A’s gorgeous beaches, so we are very concerned about the beach issues. We drive from St. Louis once or twice a year to stay on 30A. We used to bring chairs and an umbrella, but they do take up space in our Honda Civic. Also, as we have aged, carrying so much stuff to the beach is a bit of a challenge, so we do love being able to rent a beach set up. We are a bit confused by the customary use issue. Is this about the beach vendors? We thought it was also about beach-front homeowners restricting beach access. Can someone enlighten us, please? I tried sending an email and pictures today, but apparently the mailbox is full, so my letter and photos were not sent. I’ll ry again tomorrow or Tuesday.

After you arrive go to Wal-Mart and buy two chairs and an umbrella for less than $100 and pay them forward to an arriving family before you leave. Don't pay $40 plus per day for rentals. If enough people do this the vendors might fade away.

So the beach issue is the beach umbrella vendors and nothing else? Your suggestion is understood; however, the beach vendor chairs are much more comfortable and the umbrellas are sturdier. Also, we have never paid $40 a day; I don’t think we’ve ever paid $200 for an entire week. We have no problem with regulations being put into place for the vendors, but we don’t support eliminating them either.

So the beach issue is the beach umbrella vendors and nothing else? Your suggestion is understood; however, the beach vendor chairs are much more comfortable and the umbrellas are sturdier. Also, we have never paid $40 a day; I don’t think we’ve ever paid $200 for an entire week. We have no problem with regulations being put into place for the vendors, but we don’t support eliminating them either.

In PCB they are well regulated and code enforced. Chairs are 20’ above the wet sand. So either rent or sit on you towel by the the water. This eliminates most of them.