Frequently Asked Questions

Ocean Safety on LBI: What's A Rip Current?

What’s A Rip Current?

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration describes rip currents as “powerful, narrow channels of fast-moving water.” Rip currents can be dangerous for all levels of swimmers – experienced or not. The NOAA also notes that “panicked swimmers often [incorrectly] try to counter a rip current by swimming straight back to shore;” this can put swimmers in a fatigued state, making it harder for them to keep swimming. Many experienced lifeguards, surfers, and swimmers can spot a rip current from the shore – these areas look different than the rest of the water (can be darker, churning, sometimes choppy, etc.). The photo below (provided by the United States Lifesaving Association) shows what a rip current can look like, when viewed from the beach. Some beach patrols will mark rip current areas with a flag or sign, or exclude them from a swimming area on purpose, which is why it is important to swim near a lifeguard, inside of the approved areas.

Rip Currents - United States Lifesaving Association

hat Should I Know Before Swimming?

Each guarded beach has a lifeguard and a designated area for swimming. If the area you want to swim in does not have those two things, you should not swim there.
Be smart. Does the ocean look more intense than you are comfortable with? If so, try a calmer day.
If you get caught in a rip current – don’t panic and don’t fight the current! Signal to a lifeguard (if able) and swim parallel to the shore. Then, swim back towards the land. See the photo below for a visual aid.

Where Can I Find More Information?

We recommend the following local sources for beach information:

Barnegat Light Beach Patrol: Click to Email
Beach Haven Beach Patrol: 609-492-9193
Harvey Cedars Beach Patrol: Click to Email
Long Beach Township Beach Patrol: 609-361-1200
Ship Bottom Beach Patrol: 609-494-9481
Surf City Beach Patrol: 609-361-7655

And the following national sources for information:

June 2022 Update: Guarded Beaches and Fireworks Information!

June 2022 Update!

The numbers on that “last day of school” countdown are getting smaller and smaller…summer must be just around the bend! We have answered some of your most common questions for this time of year below: Independence Day Events and Guarded Beaches! Check it out!

2022 Independence Celebration Events on LBI

July 2nd: Independence Day Parade in Barnegat Light, NJ at 6pm

July 4th: Fireworks at Bay Village in Beach Haven, NJ at dusk (July 5th rain date)

July 8th: Fireworks at the 16th Street Bay Beach in Surf City, NJ at dusk

2022 Guarded Beaches on Long Beach Island

Barnegat Light

Hours (in-season): 10am to 5pm

Full Coverage Season Start Date: June 18th, 2022

Important Information: Guard stands are located at the following streets during the full coverage season dates: 30th, 27th, 26th, 25th, 22nd, 21st, 19th, 17th, 15th, 14th, 12th, 10th, and 25th Bay Beach.

Click HERE for more information on the Barnegat Light Beach Patrol!

Beach Haven

Hours (in-season): 10am to 5pm

Full Coverage Season Start Date: June 25th (there will be limited coverage until then)

Important Information: Guard stands are located at “12th Street, Taylor Ave., 5th Street, 2nd Street, Centre Ave., Engleside Ave., Pearl St., Belvoir Ave., Essex Ave., Liberty Ave., and Kentford Ave.” during the full coverage season dates.

Click HERE for more information on the Beach Haven Beach Patrol!

Harvey Cedars

Hours (in-season): 10am to 5pm

Full Coverage Season Start Date: June 18th

Important Information: Guard Stands are located at “86th Street, 83rd Street, 80th Street, 77th Street, 73rd Street, 69th Street, Middlesex Ave., Atlantic Ave., Hudson Ave. (also surfing beach), Cape May Ave., 5417 Blvd. easement (aka Cumberland), Bergen Ave. south, and Bay Beach at West 75th Street” during the full coverage season dates.

Click HERE for more information on the Harvey Cedars Beach Patrol!

Long Beach Township

Hours (in-season): 10am to 5pm

Full Coverage Season Start Date: June 18th

Important Information: Please click HERE for a list of guarded beaches in Long Beach Township.

Click HERE for more information on the Long Beach Township Beach Patrol!

Ship Bottom

Hours (in-season): 10am to 6pm

Full Coverage Season Start Date: June 18th

Important Information: During the full season coverage dates, Guard stands are located at “3rd Street, 7th Street, 15th Street, 20th Street, 23rd Street, 26th Street, 30th Street. The actual placement of the lifeguard stands vary due to beach conditions. Therefore, the guarded swim areas may be more to the north or more to the south of the listed street.”

Click HERE for more information on the Ship Bottom Beach Patrol!

Surf City

Hours (in-season): 10am to 5pm

Full Coverage Season Start Date: June 18th

Important Information: During the full coverage season dates, “lifeguard stands will be located approximately at South 2^nd Street, Division, North 2^nd, 4^th, 6^th, 8^th, 10^th, 12^th, 14^th, 16^th, 18^th, 20^th, 22^nd, and 24^th. The precise location of the guarded beach may change from year-to-year or even week-to-week depending on surf condition and the location of sandbars.”

Click HERE for more information on the Surf City Beach Patrol!

For All Beaches

Please Note: Some beaches listed above as “guarded” may not have lifeguards present at certain times due to weather, staffing issues, after hours, etc. Do not swim at a beach if you do not see a lifeguard present. If you do not understand the rules regarding flags, digging holes, playing games, surfing, or other beach activities, please ask the lifeguard on duty and they will answer your questions. Beach Badges are required during the summer season as the governor’s statement regarding the 2022 summer season fees only includes State Parks, not municipal beaches. Please see our 2022 Beach Badge Blog for more information on acquiring beach badges for each town.

Need Help?

Please Contact Us if you have further questions about this blog posting. You can also reach out to us if you have a community event that you would like us to post on our event calendar.

Photo: Tracey Pagano (@tracey_pagano)

September Beach Update 2021: Guarded Areas and Pets!

Happy September, everyone! We have gathered the following information on guarded LBI beaches for the 2021 off-season, as well as information on when pets are allowed back on beaches across the island! Hope to see you this September! Remember: do not swim at unguarded beaches!

Barnegat Light

Beaches: Please contact Barnegat Light Borough for a list of currently guarded beaches. At the time of this posting (9/1/21), 9th Street and 22nd Street in Barnegat Light beaches are guarded during regular hours. Other questions about Barnegat Light Beaches can be answered by clicking here.

Pets: Leashed pets are allowed on Barnegat Light State Park Beaches after September 15th, BL Borough Beaches starting October 1st

Beach Haven

Beaches: Centre Street in Beach Haven will be guarded on Saturdays and Sundays through Sept. 19 (10a to 5p). On weekdays, beaches will be covered by mobile units. Please click here for Beach Haven updates to this schedule.

Pets: Leashed pets are allowed on Beach Haven Beaches after September 15th

Harvey Cedars

Beaches: Harvey Cedars Beach Patrol will operate on the following schedule until the end of September:

September 7th – September 12th: Middlesex and 80th Street daily

September 13 – September 30th: Middlesex daily, 80th Street weekends only

Pets: Leashed pets are allowed on Harvey Cedars Beaches after September 15th

Long Beach Township

Beaches: 68th Street beach will be guarded seven days a week from 10am to 5pm through Sept. 30th. More info about LBTBP here.

Pets: Leashed pets are allowed on Long Beach Township Beaches after October 1st

Ship Bottom

Beaches: 7th, 15th, and 20th streets in Ship Bottom will be guarded from 10am to 5pm until September 30th. More info here.

Pets: Leashed pets are allowed on Ship Bottom Beaches after October 1st (yes, they are allowed at the Kite Festival on October 8-10)

Surf City

Beaches: No beaches in Surf City will be guarded after Labor Day Weekend.

Pets: Leashed pets are allowed on Surf City Beaches starting October 1st

Sources

We want to thank the following organizations for providing updated information on this topic:

Ship Bottom Borough Office, Surf City Borough Office, Long Beach Township Beach Patrol, Harvey Cedars Beach Patrol , Beach Haven Beach Patrol, Barnegat Light Beach Patrol

Additional information was confirmed by The Sandpaper: Article Published 9/1/21, “Few LBI Beaches Guarded Following Labor Day”

5 Tips & Tricks for Preparing Your LBI Home for the Summer Season!

Tips & Tricks for Preparing your LBI Home for Summer!

We asked our readers to give us their best tips and tricks for summer home preparations and not only did we get some great ideas from LBI homeowners, but a few pros chimed in as well! Here are the best ones we received:

1. Don’t Wait Until May to Get Started!

“With everyone trying to get their LBI beach homes open and ready for the season by Memorial Day, the month of May is usually jam packed for most of the local service businesses and availability can be very limited. Don’t wait until May! Schedule your [cleaning services] earlier in the season.” – Viktoriya, Stretch Cleaning & Restoration

2. Save Money on Seasonal Badges With Pre-Season Pricing

“Take advantage of those pre-season beach badge prices for your family/guests or for a set of badges for your rental” – Emily, Harvey Cedars

Badge Info for Each Town:

Harvey Cedars ($35 per seasonal badge if purchased by June 15th, $45 after this date)

Ship Bottom ($35 per seasonal badge if purchased by May 31st, $45 after this date)

Beach Haven ($30 per seasonal badge if purchased by May 31st, $40 after this date)

Long Beach Township ($35 per seasonal badge if purchased by June 15th, $45 after this date)

Surf City ($35 per seasonal badge if purchased by May 31st, $45 after this date)

Barnegat Light ($30 per seasonal badge if purchased by June 5th, $40 after this date)

3. Make an Annual Home Preparation Checklist and Calendar

“Test your air conditioning on the first spring day, check the batteries in your smoke and CO alarms and don’t forget to schedule your annual fire inspection early. [Inspection Appointments] book up fast and you are required each year to have your inspection done BEFORE your first rental checks in! It is best to make a checklist for spring cleaning that you can reference every spring and add new things to as they pop up!” – Duane, Vacation Rentals LBI

For Rental Homeowners, click here for more information on Ocean County Fire Inspections.

Our friends at VRLBI also added that it is a good idea to check and make sure that all beach bikes, grill components, and other amenities are in full working condition!

4. Stock Up On Commonly Used Supplies

Just preparing your home for your own family and maybe some occasional visitors? One of our Instagram followers said… remember to “stock up on beach snacks and sunscreen!”- Victoria, Submitted on Instagram

5. Sometimes It’s Best To Book Now – For Service Later

“Power washing and window cleaning are major components of getting your house summer-ready. Something I have learned (the hard way) is to schedule them for AFTER pollen season. Timing for this varies year-to-year, but it is generally late May- early June.” – Sheila, Host on The Coast (HOTC)

Bonus Tip

HOTC also noted that when turning the water back on for the first time, it is important to turn it on slowly as to not stress any pipes with a sudden flow! When in doubt, call an LBI professional! Looking for all types of pros? Check out our directory here. Remember, we are still observing state and local guidelines for the coronavirus here on LBI. If you have questions about specific restrictions for an LBI town you are visiting, please reach out to the town’s borough hall directly as they will have the most up-to-date information.

Did We Miss Something?

Let us know! Email us at info@welcometolbi.com with updates, additions, or changes!

September LBI Lifeguards + Dogs on The Beach: A 2020 Update

September Beach Update and Upcoming Events!

Updated 9/8: We will be updating this posting as often as possible through the month of September.

Ship Bottom

Guarded Streets: 7th, 15th, 20th Streets and Roving Patrols

Days: Daily through September 30th

Guarded Hours: 10am-6pm

Dogs: Allowed after October 1st (leashed)

Harvey Cedars

Guarded Streets: Middlesex (Every Day), Middlesex and 80th Street (Weekends Only), and Roving Patrols

Days: Daily through September 30th

Guarded Hours: 10am-5

Dogs: Allowed after September 15th (leashed)

Beach Haven

Guarded Streets: Centre Street and Roving Patrols

Days: Daily through September 20th

Guarded Hours: 10am-4 Weekdays, 10a-5pm Weekends

Dogs: Allowed after September 15th (leashed)

Surf City

Guarded Streets: 12th Street

Days: Daily until Mid-September (Exact Date TBD)

Guarded Hours: 10am-5pm

Dogs: Allowed after October 1st (leashed)

Long Beach Township

Guarded Streets: Tract 1067 in North Beach, 68th Street in Brant Beach, 81st Street in Beach Haven Crest, 131st Street in Spray Beach, 25th Street in Spray Beach, and Nelson Ave in Holgate. On the weekends only, 47th street in Brant Beach and 96th Street in Beach Haven Crest will be guarded in addition to the streets listed above.

Days: Daily Until September 30th, weather pending.

Guarded Hours: 10am-5pm

Dogs: Allowed after October 1st (leashed)

Barnegat Light

Guarded Streets: 9th*, 18th*, 22nd*, 25th* (see schedule below*)

September 8th-13th: 9th, 18th, 22nd, 25th streets guarded daily from 10am-5pm. Subject to Change, check @blbeachpatrol on Instagram for updates.

September 14th – 30th: 18th, 22nd, 25th only on weekdays. During this time, 9th street is added on weekends only and the tram will be running on weekends as well. Subject to Change, check @blbeachpatrol on Instagram for updates.

Guarded Hours: 10am-5pm

Dogs: Allowed after September 15th (leashed)