As a kid, I liked the beach.
At a certain point, I realized that the ocean is just to world’s septic tank, and haven’t really had any desire to go there again.
We’ve been going to Rehoboth Beach right after Christmas for the past 10 years or so. I love the sound of the waves, and sometimes even run into the ocean. We probably go every other year in the summer. Retiring to the beach would probably be too pricey for us, but we’ve thought of living near a river.
If we’re talking Southern California or Florida type beaches, with crowds of people, lots of little kids, beach blankets taking up every square inch, than no I’m not fond of the beach.
I love going to the beaches on the North Coast of California and up into Oregon. Even on the warmest days, it’s usually cool enough to walk and enjoy the sound of the ocean. Lots of times you can see sea lions or harbor seals. I love harbor seals.
Oregon coast is wonderful in almost any weather–couple of dogs to romp around, a bottle of water and miles of sand and rocks and tidepools and giant driftwood logs and dead whales and surf is heaven. Going to “a beach” to sit on a towel with five million other people is a close approximation of hell on earth for me. So, it depends. I do like snorkeling in tropical ocean though, that’s just fine.
If the word in question was “coast”, I’d say I love it. The beach itself is. . .meh. Walking in dry sand is arduous and it gets into your shoes and grinds the skin off your toes. I don’t swim, and I don’t trust the ocean not to send a sneaker wave to kill me. I do love the scenery and salt air of the Oregon coast, though.
Kinda confusing poll because the OP just asks what I think of the beach, but then the poll asks about a day of sun on the sand. I live a 10 minute walk from a beach, and I walk along the cliffs there almost every day. I love the ocean in all its moods. I also love snorkeling and in vacations in warmer climes I go to the beach for snorkeling. But I don’t like just lying on the sand. It’s uncomfortable and boring, and I would never go to the beach just to lie on the sand.
Yeah, I don’t see the point of going to the beach to just sit, but I love swimming in the ocean, and walking along the beach is nice even if it’s too cold to swim, so I picked the first one.
In the words of Carrot Top, “I don’t tan. I flambé.”
I like the activities associated with the beach, but I need lots of shade.
This.
To clarify, I didn’t mean to limit my question to sunbathing. I was thinking a more generic day-at-the-beach, whatever that means to you. I guess I was visualizing the typical beach activities of sand castles and swimming and reading and volleyball or whatever.
And I have to agree with those who prefer uncrowded walks, tho I’ll skip the nasty weather, thanks.
I picked “it’s OK” but even that is too generous. I don’t like to sit for long periods and I sunburn easily; so the standard “day at the beach” holds no charms for me. Also, sand gets into places where sand should not be. 
I was reading something a day or two ago (specificly, page 7 of this manga chapter) made me reminisce on an aspect of beach combing. I used to climb over algae-coated boulders on breakwaters, in the midst of breaking waves looking for large whelks jammed between the rocks, digging them loose with a large knife or screwdriver. Terribly dangerous, and explicitly forbidden. And if you think I was reckless, my 80-year-old grandmother was doing it, too. I regret nothing.
I keep misreading the title as “What do you think of the bleach?” and I’m still firmly against injecting it.
I like the beach and being by the water in general. It’s just I hate sitting there on a blanket for hours doing nothing but reading a book or staring at the water. I need to be doing stuff. Even if it’s just swimming for a bit or going for a walk along the beach and/or boardwalk.
I could take it or leave it. I like the *idea *of it, just because it means “vacation,” and such places are typically chock full of fun stuff, but the water and sand itself I couldn’t care less about.
You all go to the beach, and you can meet me at the bar later. I’m headed there now.
One of the most sublime beach moments I’ve experienced was on an cold, windy, overcast day at Drake’s Beach at Point Reyes. The clouds were just starting to break up there was a surreal effect as their shadows moved down the bluffs, across the beach and out to sea. Combined with the blowing sand it was amazing to witness, like one of those time-lapse nature videos but in real time. I captured it to a very small degree in this video: Light and shadow show @ Drake’s Beach
I voted “nothing is better…”, but this assumes a beach that has rock pools, not just sand. I mean, sand beaches are great, don’t get me wrong. But a mix of sand and rocks is greater.
I love being near the sea — the vista, the roar of waves, the salt air — just not IN it. And I hate being hot.
So put me in with everyone else who wants to sit on the rocks of coastal Maine on a blustery or stormy day, in nice warm comfortable clothes. Oregon would do, too. As evening comes on give me a reservation at a decent seafood restaurant, and a cozy fire in the home hearth.
The only problem with Oregon…or Washington or Northern California…is that the ocean is on the wrong side.
I voted ugh, more for my wife who hates the beach. I just think it is a waste of time. When we had a cruise stop in Aruba, we didn’t go to the beach, but went to the museum and then rode the bus to see where the real people lived. Lots more fun.
Now looking over the breakers on the rocky California coast is a lot of fun.