Myrtle Beach bans tents & umbellas

[Hokiehall]

FYI

I just read that Myrtle Beach has followed North Myrtle Beach in banning tents on the beach, but took it a step further and apparently has banned the use of umbrellas also.

I am not sure how that affects the campgrounds as most are in Horry County and not within the city limits of either MB or NMB, but it may follow suit.

Here is a link to the article from one of the MB area TV stations.

Myrtle Beach bans tents

[Campinghoss]

Interesting discussion on going and I respect everyone's opinion. But the bottom line is not everyone wants to up and run to the camper every couple of hours or so and some of us grew up near the ocean and just plain like being down there. The problem is folks who do abuse not only ez ups but a lot of other things like cleaning up behind their dogs, letting their dogs bark, thinking lease laws apply to everyone else and not them and eventually ruin whatever for everyone else. That is what irritates me more than anything else.
In an earlier post I said golf carts were a problem but mainly due to the campgrounds nor parents enforce the age limit.

[Terryallan]

D & M wrote:
""

This is ridiculous. People have been setting up tents and umbrellas on the beach for ever. How many drowning's have occurred due to a tent blocking the view? If safety is the concern, just ban the tents in the strip between the life guard tower and the water. Is the city going to stop renting tents and umbrellas on the beach?

"

Not really true. Tents are a relatively new thing. Folks only started using them a few years ago. And yes they are intrusive. People set them up side by side, and you can't even walk between them. Have to go thru. Some even leave them up all night. That causes the beach sweeper to either have to go around them, OR tear them down and trash them. Have seen them just drive over them. They get thrown into the big hopper on the back.

AAs I say. We go down to the beach, stay as long as we want, and because the camper is just the other side of the dune. Go back for dinner, and shade, and back to the beach for the after noon.

[Community Alumni]

wbwood wrote:

mosseater wrote:
Looks like the beaurocracies are running out of ways to control folks lives. We're really down to this? We went to NJ beaches for decades and everybody puts their towels and chairs down and lets them there. Outside of visibility near the water, what's the difference??? Still taking space, whether you're in the water or laying on the beach. People put down 5,6,10 towels etc., and stay for the duration. I don't get it. I'm soon going back to my planet. This one's getting a little strange.

Have you been to Myrtle Beach? They don't go put a towel down and go get in the water. That start out at daybreak and take 10'x10' ez up tents (and sometimes a couple of them)and set them up and then leave. They may come back sometime later and spend a couple hours there and then leave again and the nlater on in the day they may come back. And when I say leave, I don't mean going to take a dip in the water. I mean they leave the beach. Go back to their campers. Go do other things. It's tent upon tent all the way down the beach, usually at least 2 deep. Depends on where the lifeguards tower is. They can't be forward of that imaginary line.

Brian, I could not agree more and the issue is magnified at higher tides. I've seen people have to walk under unoccupied ez-up tents because of a high tide.

As most of us who live there up to 6 months a year know, wind can be a big factor all along Myrtle a Beach. I've seen unoccupied shelters and tents launch themselves with no one under them. It can be very dangerous. In all fairness, I've also seen umbrellas fly off but they are better to grab and control.

... Eric

[wbwood]

mosseater wrote:
Looks like the beaurocracies are running out of ways to control folks lives. We're really down to this? We went to NJ beaches for decades and everybody puts their towels and chairs down and lets them there. Outside of visibility near the water, what's the difference??? Still taking space, whether you're in the water or laying on the beach. People put down 5,6,10 towels etc., and stay for the duration. I don't get it. I'm soon going back to my planet. This one's getting a little strange.

Have you been to Myrtle Beach? They don't go put a towel down and go get in the water. That start out at daybreak and take 10'x10' ez up tents (and sometimes a couple of them)and set them up and then leave. They may come back sometime later and spend a couple hours there and then leave again and the nlater on in the day they may come back. And when I say leave, I don't mean going to take a dip in the water. I mean they leave the beach. Go back to their campers. Go do other things. It's tent upon tent all the way down the beach, usually at least 2 deep. Depends on where the lifeguards tower is. They can't be forward of that imaginary line.

[Pawz4me]

Campinghoss@51 wrote:
If M. Beach wanted to really make the stay more enjoyable they would ban golf carts unless needed for handicap reasons. I had rather have a sea of EZ ups than risk our lives trying to get to the beach without being ran down.

Golf carts (or not) are a campground issue. If you don't like them Myrtle Beach Travel Park is the place to stay.

[Campinghoss]

We have been to M. Beach a lot over our camping lives but when we became dog owners we stopped going in the summer until we could take the dogs on the beach all day. While I understand the problem about some folks staking out their turf and leaving the tents, we take everything down with us and stay from about 9:30 to 5 pm. We never leave our tent up without someone under it. The dogs as well as us need the shade. It is a shame that because some folks put them up and leave them for hours at the time that it will affect those of us who don't. Sorta like camping at Wally World huh?
If M. Beach wanted to really make the stay more enjoyable they would ban golf carts unless needed for handicap reasons. I had rather have a sea of EZ ups than risk our lives trying to get to the beach without being ran down.

[Pawz4me]

I think it's a great idea. We go to MB a lot, and those tent thingies are a nuisance. And we don't even stay out on the beach -- just go for walks throughout the day. I've seen people out setting them up before daybreak, claiming their territory. And most often it's a huge amount of territory for relatively few people--not one tent for a family of four, but three tents. Or more. I think of them as beach hogs. It's often like negotiating an obstacle course just to find a route to get around them to/from the access steps. The law will make the beach enjoyable for more people.

[D___M]

""Hope the rest of the Strand follows suit! Tired of seeing empty "tents" reserving space for hours on end!" commented viewing Galen Ruppert on the WMBF News Facebook page."

Translation - "Waaaaa! It's so unfair to me. Hope the rest of the whole world follows suit!I think its unfair that I can't show up on the beach at ten o'clock and have the exact spot that I want. So, as a minority, I want the nanny government to force the majority to my way of thinking.commented viewing Galen Ruppert on the WMBF News Facebook page."

This is ridiculous. People have been setting up tents and umbrellas on the beach for ever. How many drowning's have occurred due to a tent blocking the view? If safety is the concern, just ban the tents in the strip between the life guard tower and the water. Is the city going to stop renting tents and umbrellas on the beach?

Myrtle Beach's new motto - "Come to our beach and bake! Don't worry ,they can cure most types of skin cancer now"

[mosseater]

Looks like the beaurocracies are running out of ways to control folks lives. We're really down to this? We went to NJ beaches for decades and everybody puts their towels and chairs down and lets them there. Outside of visibility near the water, what's the difference??? Still taking space, whether you're in the water or laying on the beach. People put down 5,6,10 towels etc., and stay for the duration. I don't get it. I'm soon going back to my planet. This one's getting a little strange.

[Hokiehall]

bkbonner wrote:
Sounds like some folks queer it for the rest. We really enjoy the campgrounds at Myrtle Beach. Myrtle Beach State Park and Huntington Beach state park were both wonderful to stay and both unique.

Does the ban affect these beaches too?

Doubt the state parks are under this ban. Not sure but I would think a state park would make its own decisions regarding this and not be bound by the county or city ordinances.

[bkbonner]

Sounds like some folks queer it for the rest. We really enjoy the campgrounds at Myrtle Beach. Myrtle Beach State Park and Huntington Beach state park were both wonderful to stay and both unique.

Does the ban affect these beaches too?

[K_Charles]

The law in Myrtle Beach says "Umbrellas are allowed, but they must be less than 7.5 feet in diameter." so you can bring your own if you want.
I think it's a good idea, an empty 10' X 10' tent that is empty takes up a lot of space when only put there to reserve a space for someone that isn'tcomingg to the beach until later.

[wbwood]

I hate to say it, but it doesn't bother that they don't allow the ez ups. We will often go out on the beach before noon and most of hem are deserted. They make it difficult to go out and find some unclaimed territory. If they leave, hey should at least take it with them. Then you have those that put their tents up and then take another section of the beach adjacent to their tent for corn hole.

[Hokiehall]

K Charles wrote:
The artical says
"Horry County Council discussed the issue earlier this month at their council meeting. A year-long ban of beach tents passed a first reading unanimously. The county is expected to vote on the second reading of the year-round ban that would prohibit anything except umbrellas on April 1."
So it sounds like it will pass on April 1 in Horry County.

Looks like they will at least have the common sense not to ban umbrellas. Hopefully they won't change their mind. A buddy of mine that lives down there said the county may make the ban year round.

[K_Charles]

The artical says
"Horry County Council discussed the issue earlier this month at their council meeting. A year-long ban of beach tents passed a first reading unanimously. The county is expected to vote on the second reading of the year-round ban that would prohibit anything except umbrellas on April 1."
So it sounds like it will pass on April 1 in Horry County.