A Sea of Mega Tents Explodes on Rhode Island Beaches

A Sea of Mega Tents Explodes on Rhode Island Beaches

On Friday at 11 AM, if you took a look down Second Beach in Middletown, you did not see a sea of people — you could barely see a human body on the sand.

 

The view of humanity was obscured by a tent city.

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Tents and umbrellas have taken over many of Rhode Island's beaches. For those who are not in the proverbial front row on the waterside, their view is obscured by an endless number of mega-tents.

 

No longer are beach tents a small shade area for small children. Today, some of the tents are as big as 12x12, equalling 144 square feet.  Some tents are set up — no one is in them — placeholders.

 

 

Bans Around the Country

Some beach communities around the country have banned large beach tents and umbrellas.

The issues that have driven regulations include tent sizes, reduced visibility for beachgoers, and space hoarding (setting up tents to reserve spaces for later use).

 

Laguna Beach, California

• Effective May 26, Laguna Beach has implemented a strict ordinance that limits shade coverings to standard beach umbrellas on nearly all city beaches. The city explicitly mandates an "umbrellas-only" policy because multi-post tents and wide frames completely block lifeguards' views of the shoreline, creating an immediate public safety hazard.

 

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

• From Memorial Day through Labor Day, the only shade structures permitted on Myrtle Beach are traditional umbrellas. Tents, tarps, cabanas, and pavilions are strictly prohibited because they consume the beach and block access. 

 

Rehoboth Beach, Delaware

• Rehoboth Beach has made tents and canopies explicitly illegal year-round.

 

Other communities around the country have issued similar restrictions, including in Florida and New Jersey.

 

In Rhode Island, the tents continue to grow. There are some restrictions at some beaches. At Narragansett town beach, "Owners of all shade structures must move them to the rear of the nearest lifeguard chair to maintain lifeguard and patron visibility and ensure safety."

 

And a number of beaches don't allow tents to have sides.