Favorite beach activities

[Jess]

I love the beach and wooden boardwalk and am always out doing something active outside at the weekend. But it does mean my apartment balcony is like a storage closet for all my beach activities. To give you an idea, on the balcony we have a kayak, rollerblades, paddleball set, snorkel and fins and a beach ball. I also love to paddleboard but have yet to invest in one of those.

What does everyone here do at the beach? Do you lay out in the sun with a cooler? Do you have the whole set up, with umbrella and beach chairs? Or are you low key, with just a towel, ipod and book? Being outside is so much fun but I like to be active as well as soaking up the sun. Does anyone else go for the water sports like me?

[dylan]

I lay low towel, and maybe a book. If I go with a group of friends I may throw a cooler and soccer ball into the mix. I sometimes go snorkeling but that is only if I am going specifically for that with someone else. I am looking forward to trying out the paddle board scene but have not tried it yet. Kayaking is also great but I don't own my own.

[Christy]

I think paddleball is the most fun thing to do at the beach if it's not too hot and paddleboarding is great for a workout. Jess, you need a volleyball and badmitton set.

[Jess]

Funny you say that Christy, it's your old paddleball set!

Paddle boarding is so much fun, it's relaxing and it's a great as a work out. My boyfriend prefers kayaking cos of the arm and shoulder work out, but I like paddle boarding as it uses my abs. Plus I have better balance than he does so I don't fall in One time we went and he fell in and lost his $180 raybans. He was so mad. So if you do paddle board, leave the expensive sunglasses at home!

[dylan]

Good to know I have good balance as in Skateboarding, Surfing, snowboarding, but the paddle boarding stance I have seen almost intimidates me because it is not how I would stand naturally. I guess I have to live the experience to better understand it.

[Doug]

Snorkeling is my favorite beach activity around South Beach. But you have to go when the water is very flat. Otherwise the agitation caused by the waves really impairs the visibility. But when conditions are right, and the water is crystal clear, as you glide along, looking down, if feels almost like you're flying!

[Matt Meltzer]

I would say running on the beach is probably my favorite, insofar as it's the one I do the most. Adds an extra challenge and something you can't do everywhere. Though I went running on the beach in Santa Monica a couple of weeks ago, which was also very cool.

Past that, I just like to lay out and read if it' a beach day. Preferably a newspaper. You know I'm well-informed if my tan is good.

[dylan]

Matt how can you do that? To me the breeze at the beach would be too much to read a newspaper those things are hard enough to manage when reading inside I would flip from the paper being blown back and forth.

[Doug]

@Dylan - simple. He only reads it underwater.

[dylan]

@Doug- you're son insightful I never would have imagined that as an option but it makes perfect sense. lol

[Ingrid]

I used to be an active beach type, playing paddle ball, bocce ball (which is like boules, if you know it), running, snorkeling - that was when I first came to Miami. My then bf was a pieces and loved anything to do with water, especially boating every Sunday and, get this, fishing from off an inflatable boat. No matter what, the inflatable came along.

Generally, we would totally camp out on the beach with all sorts of gear. We also tried windsurfing. At least I tried, wasn't very good at it. I remember a particularly hot day in Miami where, after returning to our towels after a half hour run on the shore, the soles of my feet got burned. I couldn't even walk back to the car (I think I crawled back or something dramatic like that).

Anyway, I realized that, me being a fire sign and him a water sign (pieces) - he put my fire out. I don't mean to impose any astrology on anyone but from my experience, sometimes those relationships can work out, and water can be soothing to the fiery heat one might have. It's all a matter of the degree though. Lesson learned: Fire signs are most compatible with other fire signs. Aries, Leos and Sags tend to vibe well with each other :-)

But ever since that time, I've turned into a rather physically passive beach type. My favorite thing to do is soak up the sun, get really hot, meanwhile dreaming of the cool water, then go jump in the actual water and swim. Come back to lay on my towel. Hat over my face, day-dreaming at first, then totally pass out. That's it, sleeping on the beach. But I don't really go to the beach much anymore since I don't live too close to one. Once a month maybe or even more sporadic, Key Biscayne.

Mentally active, yes. What I bring is notepad and pen, reading material, headset. Read, write, think. Usually listening to pandora radio and reading up on the bands' bios. Wham! is my latest favorite station. No judgement please, I just miss the 80's and still have a big crush on young George Michael.

[Blackford Oakes]

I'm more the layback type.

My personal essentials are; a beach umbrella, chairs, a book, music and an ample supply of beer.

As far as activities, I always bring my snorkel, some sand craft material for my daughter and sometimes a kite to spy on Fred Garvin's and RK's South Pointe condos.




Sometimes it depends on the beach. If it's Sanibel, I'm collecting shell matter to place in my garden.


If it's at Captiva, that means a week of family time.





If all the celestial bodies are alignied perfectly, then my beach activity is as perfect as it can get >>>>>>

[Mario]

I generally either swim or snorkel. I always run on the beach, since it's soft on your joints. I also bring a book with me. In the process of doing all these activities, I've ended up super tanned. I have yet to try paddleboard, it does look pretty fun and I've heard it's a workout.

I need to get myself an inflatable raft.

[Jess]

You guys remind me about running on the beach. I used to always go every morning when I lived south of fifth. I need to get back into that habit. My new route is the wooden boardwalk, to the end and back. Kind of on the beach, still has a killer view.

[Matt Meltzer]

I've actually gotten used to reading it with the wind. It's not that bad, just takes practice. Of course, hard to find print enditions nowadays so I may have to find something else.

[Ingrid]

I need to get myself an inflatable raft.

Those rubber ducks are really fun, especially when you go on it with someone else. You need to watch every move, that's how sensitive they are in regards to weight distribution. It was just getting ridiculous how much stuff we would load up onto the inflatable. All the fishing tackle, and bucket with bait, snorkel and fins, food and drinks, you couldn't even move from your spot anymore. Not to mention the long rods and the oars. All the goods would gravitate to the center of the boat the longer you were on it. And be warned: Those things lose air quickly. Over time even more so. The longer you have it and use it, the sooner the air leak process starts once it's inflated. Boating for the poor. Also, you will need to get yourself a nice pump so you don't need to blow it up by mouth.

[Jess]

Ingrid, your last post had me reading up on star signs! I am earth and other half is air. Good combination apparently

[Ingrid]

Ingrid, your last post had me reading up on star signs! I am earth and other half is air. Good combination apparently

Jess, are you a Taurus? I wanna take a wild guess and say you were born on May 7th. Wouldn't that be something if I guessed right

Earth signs strike me primarily as stable (connected to the earth, standing firmly on it) and secondly as stubborn.

Did you notice how I spelled Pisces? I wrote "pieces". Maybe subconsciously thought of my ex as someone who now is in pieces, lol. Oh I know, I had that "I Fall To Pieces" Patsy Cline song in my head the other day, haha!

[Jess]

I liked reading on the element signs. I didn't know much about it till you wrote that post. It says air signs are playful. That certainly describes the air signs i know!

Has anyone tried kiteboarding? They do it on the beach at around 28th street. It looks kind of scary.

Also, I am surprised no one surfs? Gus does, but not in SoBe. I have a few friends that surf but they go up the coast to catch waves, they don't tend to go down here unless it's windy.

[Jackwil80]

Snorkeling! underwater swimming takes into another world altogether!