TYBEE BEACHCOMBER | APR 2019 11
By Allie Hayser
you finally catch it, pop up, and bam! The cutest kid in the world is staring
at you like a deer in the headlights… Families and rogue swimmers
can’t really be to blame for wanting to swim in public beach accesses
but take a minute to ask them to scoot down, or be extra mindful of their
kids frolicking in the surf lineup. There is nothing worse than knowing
you ran over a kid for a short lived ride... nothing worse. Surfers, truth
is where we look, we will go... so if you are surfing close to a family and
you’re riding a wave in, try to turn/keep your eyes in a direction away
from them.
Animals
Jellyfish, stingrays, and sharks oh my! We are all too familiar with jellyfish
stings around here. Whether your secret solution to stop the sting is
vinegar, pee, or exfoliating with sand... be ready. Shuffle those feet to
avoid the stingrays that dig and feed in the shallows. As for sharks, well
they’re a part of our healthy water community. Apparently Ocearch had
a successful time with tagging sharks with satellite transmitters off of
the Savannah coast this February and March. Our coastline is brimming
with biodiversity and our marshes are estuaries that support life cycles of
fish populations along the coast. Their stats are posted on their website
as well as visual tracking for the sharks that were tagged. For more info
check out their website at ocearch.org.
Fisherman
Let ‘em eat, let ‘em live, but be mindful of hooking any swimmers or the
surfers that are trying to surf where the waves are breaking consistently.
Communicate and look out for those hard-to-find fishing lines. If a surf
camp or lineup is posted up at the north jetty, fish on the other side
and let those lil grommies get the time of their lives. At the pier, I like to
believe my fellow surfers and I scare away all the fish from the area... but
truth is that there’s an epic catch just beyond our dangling legs. So watch
out for where the current moves the casted fishing lines, try to stay in
that wave peak, share the space, and don’t get hooked!
Can’t wait to see you all back out there and on it… let’s make these last
spring months last!
ENJOY IT WHILE IT LASTS
Happy Early Summer Y’all! The weather is already absolutely gorgeous
and the sun is shining, but the water is still taking its sweet time to warm
up. Spring suits and cool water wax are your best friends until late this
month. Word on the beach is that the surf breaks on the south end are
rapidly changing… some rumors of surfing at lower tides being rad…
some reports of 2nd Street days… we shall see how the sand will shift
throughout the rest of this year. Thankfully the sea turtles, birds, and
humans will have a more stable and suitable dune system to help buffer
the sea and storms in the future. With the warm temperatures coming,
there are so many exciting things to look forward to like... live music,
bikinis, non-freezing dawn patrols, longer daylight, smells of sunscreen,
cold beers, beach days on the sand bar... the island coming more alive
in all places and ways. As year-round locals, or those that visit in the off
season, we are currently the luckiest people alive… many surf sessions
with only a few homies out, uncrowded neighborhood watering holes,
and amazing undisturbed wildlife sightings!!!
So I’ll take this chance to remind you that you have only a few months
left of these feels before the summer season hits and you’re reminded of
the dangers of island summertime:
Swimmers
This one always trips me out. You’ve been waiting on that set wave all day,
/ocearch.org