I’m not doing a june grass report today because I can hear the waves breaking on the beach even though I’m nearly a mile away. There’s still a Rip Tide Advisory in effect. Stay out of the water. If you want to sit on the sand, fine, but stay out of the water. It looks like it might rain today.
Monthly Archives: May 2013
June Grass Update for Walton County 5/30/13:AM
June grass update for Walton County 5/30/13:AM
0 on the June Grass Grossness Index.
While I was out exercising this morning I stopped by the beach just to check. I had absolutely no intention of swimming because the synergistic effects of the shift in winds Monday, the new weather front that just moved in, and our soft ever-shifting sand bars have resulted in a Rip Current Statement for the area.
DON’T BE STUPID. I’m a moderately good swimmer, I SCUBA and freedive, and I’ve gone island-hopping ocean kayaking in the past. I don’t get in the water when there is a red flag. If it is really hot (which it is not right now, in fact the Panhandle is downright balmy for this time of year), I may stick my feet in to cool off, but otherwise I find something else to do. Your life, and your kids’ lives, are worth more than whatever you paid to vacation or buy a house here. I’m working on a list, to be posted later this summer, of alternative things to do in the area in case of red and double red flags.
The yellow flies are still ATROCIOUS within a mile of the beach but they don’t appear to be biting on the beach. By “atrocious” I mean I was riding my bike and still getting attacked. There is some sargassum on the beach, but don’t let it bother you. I don’t know why the purple flag is up. I did see a stingray the other day and I got stung by the broken bits of jellies called “sea lice” around here.
At the time this report was made the beach flags were red and purple, but check them again before you head to the beach.
I would love it if you would share your personal June Grass and beach condition reports in the comments section. It would also be great if you left a comment to tell me where you’re traveling from to visit the beach!
If there isn’t a current June Grass report up on this site I suggest checking the link to local beach cams on the left side of this page. They can often give you an idea of what the water is like. It is also important to “Know Before You Go” and check local beach flags. They are updated twice daily at 9:30am and 1:30pm.
PLEASE ENJOY THE BEACH RESPONSIBLY!
Okaloosa Island Bayside
I was out on Okaloosa Island Wednesday morning. Everything looked clear on Crab Island and on the bay side. I didn’t stop on the Gulf side. There were a few rafts of sargassum floating in the the pass. If anybody else has information on the conditions for Okaloosa Island go ahead and post them in the comments section of this post. Thanks!
June Grass Update Sunday Afternoon
June grass update for Walton County 5/26/13:PM
0.5-3.5 on the June Grass Grossness Index.
My husband and I went for an evening swim. The wind had shifted to the Southeast and there were some moderate waves. Nice for some gentle body surfing, not so nice because they brought the June Grass back in. Fortunately it was only very concentrated in patches. The water was still a nice temperature, although I did find a few cold spots as we swam. We saw a school of ladyfish and some sort of jacks. I also noticed some live olive shells on the bottom, something I’ve never seen here before. We stayed in about 6-7′ of water in between the two sandbars. I have two new swimsuits from Ecostinger and unfortunately I chose to wear the shorty (instead of the full skin) and got stung on the calf by “sea lice”, so keep that in mind. I also got stung on the lip and hubby got several stings as well. Hubby saw a turtle and we both saw a small stingray.
At the time this report was made the beach flags were yellow, but check them again before you head to the beach.
I would love it if you would share your personal June Grass and beach condition reports in the comments section. It would also be great if you left a comment to tell me where you’re traveling from to visit the beach!
If there isn’t a current June Grass report up on this site I suggest checking the link to local beach cams on the left side of this page. They can often give you an idea of what the water is like. It is also important to “Know Before You Go” and check local beach flags. They are updated twice daily at 9:30am and 1:30pm.
PLEASE ENJOY THE BEACH RESPONSIBLY!
Concentrated patches of june grass but not too bad…Photo by Hubby
Clearer water further away from the beach…Photo by Hubby
June Grass Update Middle of Memorial Day Weekend
June grass update for Walton County 5/26/13:AM
0 on the June Grass Grossness Index.
While I was having my morning bike ride I stopped at the beach to have a look around. The water looks great! Small waves with a North wind and very clear. There were a lot of surf fishermen, in about chest deep water around the first sandbar, who seemed to be having a good time. I didn’t stick my feet in but the water must be nice if they were out in it so early, especially since the air was nice and cool last night. For the birdwatchers: I saw a ruddy turnstone at the beach. There was also a gentleman enjoying some early morning metal detecting on the sand. I also stopped by one of the dune lakes on my ride and the fishermen there were catching 1-2.5 pound bass, so if you don’t feel like fighting the crowds at the beach today the dune lakes could be a fun option.
At the time this report was made the beach flags were yellow, but check them again before you head to the beach.
I would love it if you would share your personal June Grass and beach condition reports in the comments section. It would also be great if you left a comment to tell me where you’re traveling from to visit the beach!
If there isn’t a current June Grass report up on this site I suggest checking the link to local beach cams on the left side of this page. They can often give you an idea of what the water is like. It is also important to “Know Before You Go” and check local beach flags. They are updated twice daily at 9:30am and 1:30pm.
PLEASE ENJOY THE BEACH RESPONSIBLY!
June Grass Update Beginning of Memorial Day Weekend
June grass update for Walton County 5/24/13:PM
0.5-2 on the June Grass Grossness Index.
I had my inaugural Gulf of Mexico swim on Monday and the water was warm and crystal clear so I was hoping to be able to deliver a June Grass Report of ZERO for Memorial Day weekend, but alas that is not to be the case. June Grass is fickle and when I went for a swim at about 6:30 this evening there was some sargassum up on the beach and some June Grass. Most of the June grass was pushed up in the shallows and as I waded out to the first sandbar it pretty much disappeared. The moon is full tonight so the tide was WAY out and I could walk out to the first sandbar without getting wet much above my knees. The water was also a bit cooler today, but still nice, and the wind was coming from the North.
I had my diving mask with me so I looked around underwater for awhile. I saw a tiny flounder about 3″ long and then as I was getting out to leave I saw a big fish jump in the air three times way out past the second sandbar. There were also a number of shorebirds around. Speaking of wildlife: shore birds and sea turtles are currently nesting on our beaches! Please respect them and follow any regulations pertaining to wildlife. The beach is for everybody! Also please use your common sense and best judgement while having fun at the beach this weekend!
I was out on Okaloosa Island Monday morning and saw a few rafts of sargassum in the East Pass, but it looked nice otherwise. When I was out there this morning it looked like Crab Island was getting ready for the weekend.
At the time this report was made the beach flags were yellow, but check them again before you head to the beach.
I would love it if you would share your personal June Grass and beach condition reports in the comments section. It would also be great if you left a comment to tell me where you’re traveling from to visit the beach!
If there isn’t a current June Grass report up on this site I suggest checking the link to local beach cams on the left side of this page. They can often give you an idea of what the water is like. It is also important to “Know Before You Go” and check local beach flags. They are updated twice daily at 9:30am and 1:30pm.
PLEASE ENJOY THE BEACH RESPONSIBLY!
Yellow Flies are BAD This Year!
Walton Outdoors gives more information about dealing with these aggravating pests:
June Grass Report Schedule
I apologize for the lack of consistent updates. I have a lot of other outdoor hobbies that don’t necessarily involve the beach. I also work full time.
In the future there will be at least one June Grass Update per week from Memorial Day Weekend until Labor Day.
The rest of the time there will be a monthly beach conditions update, sporadic beach water quality report reblogs, and other occasional relevant posts. The rest of the time the June Grass Report will morph into: The Yellow Fly Report, The Tropical Storm Not Evacuating Report, The Hurricane Evacuated Report, The Mosquito Report, and The Look How Awesome the Beach is in Winter with No Tourists Report.
The Yellow Flies have been pretty bad all spring by the way.
Other reasons there might not be a consistent June Grass Report are that I have melted because I attempted to go to the beach, I don’t like kids but I think they should be encouraged to enjoy the beach so if there are a lot of them down there I don’t go, and because I don’t enjoy crowds in general.
If you leave me a comment I might be motivated to go to the beach to make a report if there hasn’t been one in awhile, but I make no guarantees. Have fun at the beach!
The June Grass Report 