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The Seasons
The "high" season
is from about Easter to Labor Day. Outside of those dates regularly
scheduled
events may
be rescheduled
or cancelled. You should always call to see what the off season
schedules are.
Between the end of Thanksgiving weekend and about Valentines day
(February 14), many businesses and especially restaurants are closed
and most normal activities are unavailable.
The busiest
times are the weeks of Easter, the Fourth of July and Labor Day,
plus the first week of August. During these times
restaurant reservations are recommended, and you should consider
making reservations for other activities as soon as you arrive,
before
they fill up.
Fall is one of the best times to visit Surfside Beach. The water
is still warm enough for swimming, and you can be comfortable in
shorts. Restaurants are uncrowded and activities don't fill up.
The weather is at it's best then.
The Summer
Most visitors come in the summer, during the summer
break for schools. On very hot days our weather can get very tropical,
with
sudden thunderstorms popping up in the afternoon. The storms usually
don't last long, perhaps an hour, but they are often accompanied
by lightning. For this reason, outdoor activities, especially on
the water, should be scheduled for the morning hours (or very early
afternoon). You definitely don't want to be on the water or the
beach in a lightning storm, nor do you want to be biking (the temptation
to seek shelter under a tree is too great).
By the way, South Carolina, like most southern states, requires
motorists to turn on their headlights when it's raining enough
to use wipers. When it's raining, you frequently see parked cars
with headlights on, so don't forget to turn them off.
Beach
Access
Surfside is unique in that every numbered street terminates
into a public beach access. Several of these public access points
are equipped with parking meters which are enforced during the vacation
season. The meters are removed when not enforced, so if you see them,
you need to pay for your parking.
Tides
The tides on Surfside Beach routinely run eight feet, sometimes
more. If you leave stuff on the beach at low tide and go somewhere,
it
may be underwater when you get back. Tide charts are readily available
in visitor oriented publications. It matters if you want to ride
bikes on the beach, which can be done only near low tide, when
the hard sand is exposed. In some parts of Surfside Beach there is
little or no beach at high tide.
Rules and Regulations
Surfside Beach has some laws and regulations
that may not be familiar to you. You should look up the beach rules
in a visitor oriented
publication or read the signs at the beach. One of the more important
laws forbids alcoholic beverages on the beach (thanks to a few
who abused the privilege); it is enforced. There are laws to protect
our flora and fauna, and mostly they follow common sense. If you
conform to the old saying "leave nothing behind but your footprints,
take nothing but your memories" you will be fine. When you
go beachcombing, keep in mind some of what you pick up is living
creatures (like hermit crabs inside shells or sand dollars), and
these are protected. Leaving fishing line or hooks on the beach
creates an obvious problem. Sea turtles will ingest plastic bags
or foam food containers and will die as a result.
Crabbing is
a favorite sport on Surfside Beach. There is a minimum size for "keepers",
and you may not keep a female carrying eggs (an orange spongy
mass on their
underside). If you should
be lucky enough to see a sea turtle or it's nest, stay away and
just watch. These are endangered species protected by Federal law.
As an example, the maximum penalty for disturbing a sea turtle
nest is 56 years in prison and a fine of $390,000. These people
are serious! Also, there is a law requiring that lights visible
from the beach be turned off or shielded between May1 and October
31, after 10 PM. This is because hatching sea turtles go toward
light, which in nature is toward the sea. If they go inland they
die. Dolphins are likewise protected. You may not feed them - again,
very stiff fines!
Sand dunes
are our first defense against storm surge caused by gales
or hurricanes.
You have probably seen on TV houses built on the dunes or beaches
falling into the sea during hurricanes. The dunes are fragile,
and any disturbance to the natural balance causes them to vanish.
They are held together by the grasses you see growing on them.
Ironically, these grasses are so delicate that walking on them
kills them. For this reason it is against the law to walk on
the dunes. The town has provided walkovers at frequent intervals,
so
this does not present a hardship.
We hope you
enjoy your vacation!
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