10 unwritten rules of beach etiquette

10 rules of beach etiquette

Don't set up your tent too close to the shore

If you’ve spent any time at the beach this summer, you’ve probably found yourself wading through a sea of neon umbrellas and colourful cabanas to find a square metre of sand on which to roll out your beach towel. While we applaud beachgoers for being sun-safe and seeking shade, we’d appreciate it if you could raise your tents further back and leave some prime sandy real estate upfront for the rest of us. 

Be mindful of where you shake your towel

While shaking out your towel is an unavoidable part of the whole beach experience, be aware of where you’re shaking it out and in what direction the wind is blowing so that you’re not just tossing sand all over the person relaxing next to you. 

Don't kick sand all over people

As well as being careful about where you shake off your towel, in your fervent excitement to run to the water, it’s also courteous to mind your step lest you accidentally kick sand all over someone.

This also applies to games of beach cricket, volleyball, footy or other sand-raising activities. Try to maintain a safe sand-spraying distance to avoid accidentally showering someone as you dodge, duck, dip, dive, and dodge. 

Keep an eye on your kids

Forget sunbaking and reading a book. If you’re braving the beach with kids in tow, relaxing on the sand is pretty much the last thing you’ll be doing. Pay attention to your kids at all times to make sure they’re not only playing it safe around the water, but also not going around terrorising fellow beachgoers, kicking sand in other people's lunches and or setting sandy booby traps. 

Don't bring four-legged friends during prohibited hours 

It’s hot out so you thought it might be nice to let your dog cool off at the beach. Victoria has its fair share of off-leash dog beaches at which they are free to roam year-round. But at many of the more popular sandy spots, dogs are prohibited during peak season. Before packing your pooch into the car, check that they are permitted to roam free at the beach you’re planning to visit. If they are allowed, happy days; just be sure to pick up after them.  

Don't blast your music 

We’re not saying you can't listen to music but, if you’re going to, keep the volume low and make sure the tunes are appropriate for young listeners. We can guarantee that the family with young kids trying to have a nice time next to you will not appreciate you pumping up the death metal jams. 

Don't smoke on the beach

Smoking (and vaping) are now banned during patrolled times at all of Victoria's patrolled beaches. Some councils have also introduced local laws prohibiting smoking on the beach. But just because it’s not a blanket ban at all beaches, it doesn’t give you carte blanche to just light up. If the foreshore is heaving with people, find a quiet spot somewhere away from the crowds to light up so you can spare people from having to breathe in your second-hand smoke. And don't just butt out, put your butts in the bin.

Fill in any holes dug in the sand 

Is it even technically a castle if you haven’t dug out the moat? Playing in the sand is a rite of passage at the beach but, when you’re ready to leave, fill in any holes you’ve dug out so that you’re not creating a maze of trip hazards for people arriving after you. 

Keep PDAs to a minimum

Is there anything more romantic than long walks on the beach, frolicking in the water or sunbaking on the sand? While there’s nothing wrong with being affectionate, this is the public beach, so keep it PG. 

Take your rubbish

Australians are lucky to have some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. And we’d like to keep them that way. If the bins are full, take your rubbish with you. Don’t just plonk your oily fish and chips parcels or empty soft drink cans on top of already overflowing bins where, with the slightest breeze, they’re going to end up strewn all over the sand or, worse, in the ocean.