# Walking on the beach **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 13, 2013, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-on-the-beach/663415 "2013-07-13T18:42:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2013, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-on-the-beach/663415/1 "2013-07-13T18:42:53Z")
My best friend has some difficulty walking, but she really wanted to go out on the beach yesterday. As we struggled across fifty yards of dry sand, I wondered, why has no one devised beach-spoons to make the sand less difficult? What I am picturing would resemble smooth plastic snowshoes 18~24" long by, say, 10" wide, to help distribute the weight of the walking person more broadly "so they are not sinking into soft sand every step). Is there a practical reason that this kind of thing does not exist? ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2013, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-on-the-beach/663415/2 "2013-07-13T19:45:59Z")
Order a set of snow shoes and give them a try. Probably not worth the effort. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2013, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-on-the-beach/663415/3 "2013-07-13T19:50:52Z")
Yea, even in snow, the snow has to be pretty deep to make walking around with snowshoes less trouble then they’re worth. In sand I think they’d add more difficulty in having to lift the extra weight on each foot then they’d save you in extra stability. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2013, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-on-the-beach/663415/4 "2013-07-15T18:54:40Z")
I think appearance would be a big factor too. You don’t see many people walking around in [Umbrella Hats](http://oldstersview.files.wordpress.com/2007/11/umbrella-hat.jpg) either. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2013, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-on-the-beach/663415/5 "2013-07-15T19:05:29Z")
When I walked in snowshoes (just the once), I tripped all the time. I was constantly catching the front edge of the shoe on snow or other obstacles. I’m sure that people get better with practice, but I sure wouldn’t consider it worthwhile. Frankly, I’d just as soon walk without them, or bring a shovel so I can create my own path as I go. Besides, the pleasure of walking barefoot on the sand is one of the primary reasons I go to the beach at all. Take away that and I’d be happier at a swimming pool. ---
**Author:** ![aNewLeaf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@aNewLeaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aNewLeaf)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2013, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-on-the-beach/663415/6 "2013-07-15T19:39:43Z")
> [@For You](#): > > As we struggled across fifty yards of dry sand, I wondered,… > > Is there a practical reason that this kind of thing does not exist? Once you get across the dry sand, there’s wet sand and it’s easier to walk. People that can’t get across that go to a different beach, or go to the water park or something. …so it’s sort of a niche product. But try snowshoes, see what you think. Or you could pull someone in a sled if they were ok with it. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2013, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-on-the-beach/663415/8 "2013-07-16T12:08:20Z")
Weird - I walk the beach/dunes several times a week - and snowshoe in winter. I’m unsure exactly what the problem with sand is - or how any “solution” would be an improvement. Sure, walking in dry sand is a bit of an effort. If I’m walking a distance in it, I simply wear my hiking boots and socks. No problem. Unsure how these “spoons” would work well. How are they affixed to your feet? If straps, how do you keep the sand from getting between the straps and your bare skin? I also imagine you’d need a careful gait to avoid flipping sand everywhere - or getting it between the sole of your foot and the spoon. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2013, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-on-the-beach/663415/9 "2013-07-16T13:55:23Z")
While snowshoes are somewhat awkward to walk in, they offer a significant advantage over sinking two or three feet down into the snow. It’s questionable if a similar product would provide much advantage over sinking two or three inches down into the sand. Add in the nature of sand to find its way into everything as mentioned above, which is not a problem with snow when one is wearing proper footwear, and the “sandshoes” end up causing more problems than they solve. I doubt a sled would be feasible. Smooth surfaces like sleds, skis, and sleigh runners glide over snow pretty well, but would be subject to noticeably more friction on sand. ---
**Author:** ![jaymac1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/48db29/32.png) [@jaymac1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaymac1)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2013, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-on-the-beach/663415/10 "2013-07-16T14:11:42Z")
I have a beech wheelchair. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2013, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-on-the-beach/663415/11 "2013-07-16T14:26:19Z")
Looking at photos of Bedouin people walking in the desert, I[see no](http://kids.britannica.com/comptons/art-180093/A-Bedouin-family-sits-in-front-of-their-tent-in) [beach-spoons](http://www.glo-con.com/article/article_no/1428/). If the idea were truly practical, I’d think desert nomads would be the earliest adopters.