new jersey beach badges
This was kind of brought up in another thread...
So, I just moved to the great garden state this past fall.
So, who can shed some light on the beach badges. Are they different for every town as far as how much and at what time of day you need them?
Like, if I roll up for the dawn patrol, there is no way someone is checking for badges that early right?
Having surfed many coasts around the country and internationally, it is unfamiliar concept to have to pay to get on the beach.
Last edited by Swellinfo; May 25, 2011 at 06:33 PM.
checkers usually start at 9 or 10 depending on the beach, and they leave at 4 or 5, depending on weather too.
every town has a different beach badge. you can't use a badge for avon in belmar or vice versa.
monmouth beach they dont charge bc theres no parking - that and the taxes are through the roof. theres no lifeguards or checkers in deal either, but theres sh!t ton of people, and trash everywhere. and the sand is effin hot
there is sort of an unspoken law that towns can charge people to use the beaches bc they employ people to keep them clean and save peoples lives, but they can't charge people to use the water. this is obviously up for discussion with a badge checker that wants to be a d!ck at the time
Yea paying is the worst.
In most areas they check from 9-4 or 5 and some places there are gate workers who check them before you get on the beach. For dawn patrol you are safe and can usually remain in the water however long you like, no one usually kicks you out of the water but that is different everywhere. After and before those hours you are good to come and go as you want. Also, between those hours there are designated surf spots where surfers only are allowed. For DP and after 4 or 5 you can surf anywhere.
Daily badges are between i think 7 and 8 bucks, season can be 50 - 100 depending on the area.
cool, thanks, that is about what i figured. These towns must make a ton of money off the beach badges.
I will mostly be trying to hit up the DP or evening sessions anyway.
Just use some of the methods Gary Busey posted in the other thread. You can almost always get on free if you just run past the checker with your board and wetsuit on. If you have three chairs and the kids and their toys then that's another story. Or jump the rail when the renta cops aren't looking and run into the water when you see them walking up and down the beach.
They make a lot - depending on the weather each year can be different. I was an auditor for municipalities for both belmar and bradley, they clean up - especially belmar.Originally Posted by Swellinfo
I wonder if I can bribe the badge checkers with some Swellinfo schwag
Isn't it ironic that these towns have beach tags and parking fees to pay for tag checkers and parking enforcement??
Coming from Delmarva:
In Ocean City, MD there is no charge for parking or beaches. I suppose they figure the tourist spends enough in the city as it is. In Delaware, a lot of places you have to pay to park, but that is it.
not sure how entirely accurate this is, but along the lines of what was said above that the towns car charge for parking and use of beaches, but not of the water --- so i believe it is a law in some towns (long branch to be specific i think it like this) that if you are surfing on the designated surfing beach then you dont need a badge. reasoning behind that i believe is that since there are no guards on the surfing beach and you arent actually using the beach but just the water they cant force you to have a badge. same goes for fishing.
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