Carrying at the beach

[NavyLCDR]

Please point out the falacy in my statement? Millions upon millions do survive the beach every year. That is a fact. One bad incident in Norway does not change that. Thats like saying i'm never going to get in the ocean again without a chain suit because of a shark attack or step outside my home without a faraday cage because of a lightning strike.

Then why carry a gun anywhere? Millions and millions of people engage in all sorts of activities everywhere - schools, malls, restaurants, convenience stores, gas stations, walks in the park, camping... and they all survive without being attacked by criminals. So, according to your logic, there is no need to carry a gun anywhere.

 

[Prosser]

IIRC, that figure included not only violent crimes, but property crimes.

And yes, San Francisco has not exactly been one of the pillars of safety in the world.

By the way, Richmond and Oakland are a BART ride away from SF. When I was at the SFDA's we used to take BART into a certain stop, get picked up by a shuttle, and taken down to the Court house.

The irony was this was also a popular corner for the homeboys to drop their guys off to sell drugs. A brightly colored, lowered chevy would pull up, and 5 or 6 kids, in gang bang colors would pile out to sell drugs,
right in front of a number of LEO enforcement guys waiting for the shuttle. Priceless.

You will find that Richmond and Oakland are generally always in the top 10, if not at the top, of the most dangerous cities in the US. Berkeley is also an area that specializes in property crimes at high volume.

I'll let you in on a secret: Bad guys have cars, use Bart and other forms of public transit.

 

[mljdeckard]

Ths question made me think a little bit. The oceanic beaches that are closest to me are in California, so I won't be carrying there any time soon. But it is feasible that I could be on the coast of Texas, Florida, or any of the coast in between. It is also worth noting that Lake Powell, which lies between Utah and Arizona, has more shoreline than the U.S. west coast. When I carry there I usually use the fanny pack. And I don't swim with it. If I MUST get wet, I would ditch it. Most of the time I will keep sandals on and not go into water past my knees. It just isn't as much fun as it was when I was younger.

When I go fishing in the mountains here I just open carry.

 

[JustinJ]

Then why carry a gun anywhere? Millions and millions of people engage in all sorts of activities everywhere - schools, malls, restaurants, convenience stores, gas stations, walks in the park, camping... and they all survive without being attacked by criminals. So, according to your logic, there is no need to carry a gun anywhere.

My line of thinking is that carrying a gun, of small enough size, in most places allows for a level of protection and security without causing excessive hardship. There is in fact always another layer of protection one can provide but each comes with an added level of inconvenience. Eventually the law of diminishing returns takes effect and precautions become unreasonable. We could all carry Mark 23s year round but the advantage of that gun over a subcompact does not justify having to wear a coat in the summer. Think of it like this. We all wear a seatbealt everywhere we drive, i hope. If one carries a gun but doesn't wear a seatbelt they have no understanding of threat analysis. However, if you were out and your seat belt broke would you stop you pull over and call a tow truck to avoid driving without it for a short time? No, because the risk of an accident for that drive home is small enough to warrant it but the risk of one happening sometime in your life makes it wise to wear one when possible.

 

[skt239]

The days of spending time on crowded beaches with sketchy board walks are over for me. I prefer a quite, boring type beach (south Carolina is a good example) where the only thing I have to worry about defending myself against is harmful uv rays.

 

[Ringolevio]

Here's my CC-at-the-beach trick

OK, I'm not gonna get involved in the whole debate about needing to carry on a beach. I've walked some mean streets and some idyllic beaches, and I know that crime is attracted to areas of low resistance, and that a threat can pop up anywhere, anytime.

But I can certainly tell you how to carry on a beach, and I'm surprised nobody else has mentioned this so far. I've written about this method before, on another, similar firearms forum (from which I've been banned forever, but not for remarks on this topic).

Get yourself a Tilley Hat (made in Canada) or its American-made clone, the Ultimate Hat. Both come in several variations of color, fabric, brim size etc., but all have a pocket inside the crown. And I can personally testify that a .380 Backup or a Colt Mustang will fit very nicely in that pocket. Any other gun with a similar footprint will probably also fit.

You can go into the water up to your eyebrows and your gun will be dry and accessible. The hats are rigged with cords you can put under your chin and behind your head, to not only keep the hat on in a high wind (these hats are favored by sailboaters) but will also keep it from being easily snatched off your head.

I carried in this manner when I frequented a nude beach outside Portland, OR back in the '80s. Nudity notwithstanding, it was a very civilized, wholesome and family-friendly beach, but there were still times I was happy to be armed, as when groups of drunk and belligerent guys would come up in small boats and harass the women.

 

[Buckyt]

Maybe I have my head in the sand, but I am 70 years old, and I've never felt threatened at any of the beaches I ever visited. If I thought I needed a gun, I just wouldn't go to the beach.

 

[JRH6856]

I might not go anywhere I felt I needed a gun, but that would not stop me from carrying a gun anywhere I felt I needed to go.

 

[oneounceload]

Get yourself a Tilley Hat (made in Canada) or its American-made clone, the Ultimate Hat. Both come in several variations of color, fabric, brim size etc., but all have a pocket inside the crown. And I can personally testify that a .380 Backup or a Colt Mustang will fit very nicely in that pocket.

I am not thinking so - I own Tilleys, and the pocket is VERY small- besides, who wants to have a pound extra weight on the top of your head?

 

[Buckyt]

I'm not questioning your right to carry where you want, but I'm glad I have not felt the need to pack heat at the beach.

 

[JRH6856]

who wants to have a pound extra weight on the top of your head?

If you're on a nude beach, where else would you put it? (don't answer that)

 

[AK_Maine_iac]

It is normal to see 12 ga. pumps, handguns, rifles on those things you call beaches. The three B's... beaches, Babes and bears. Only in Alaska

 

[Ringolevio]

AK_Maine_iac:

It is normal to see 12 ga. pumps, handguns, rifles on those things you call beaches. The three B's... beaches, Babes and bears. Only in Alaska

Whereas, on the beach at Eilat, you'll see Uzis, M16s, and middle-aged women with BHPs in their beachbags. Also babes (often slinging an M16). But no bears (although plenty of Russkis).

From a review of the Leonardo Club Hotel near Eilat's north beach:

Once you get over the intial shock of people carrying guns (including some of the guests), this is a surprisingly good place to stay.

 

[X-Rap]

Whereas, on the beach at Eilat, you'll see Uzis, M16s, and middle-aged women with BHPs in their beachbags. Also babes (often slinging an M16). But no bears (although plenty of Russkis).

Plus patrol boats just off shore and jeeps with 2 manned machine guns driving the sand. I was there not long after a group of gunman who had swam out from Jordan and come ashore in Israel were taken down by such a vehicle. I liked the beach further west from the border, close to the Club Med.

 

[newbuckeye]

Plus patrol boats just off shore and jeeps with 2 manned machine guns driving the sand. I was there not long after a group of gunman who had swam out from Jordan and come ashore in Israel were taken down by such a vehicle. I liked the beach further west from the border, close to the Club Med.

I think I was across the border when that happened....

 

[Prosser]

I had a trip to Barbados that was kind of like that. Except it was guys with Machetes, rastas, running drugs, and ripping off tourists.

 

[Godsgunman]

I lived in the Tampa/Clearwater area for a little over 5 1/2 yrs during and after college and I really can't recall hearing any killings or hold ups on the beaches themselves. On a very rare occasion you'd hear of something happening around that area but it was always due to fights in the clubs or bars in the wee hours when people should be sleeping anyways. I never heard of anything during daylight beach hours that would prompt me to need to carry on the beach. Also in my opinion it would be to much of a hassle for me worrying about the gun showing, getting wet and sandy, even leaving it in a bag. I'd rather leave it in the car if I even felt the need to bring it that far. If someone is brave enough to mug me in broad daylight on a crowded beach then more power to them. Im a firm believer that when its time for God to call me home it wont matter if I have the whole US armed forces loaded to the teeth protecting me, its my time. So I will enjoy the time He's given me and be happy when its time to leave. Granted I do carry most everywhere else, the beach just aint one of those places.

 

[Shoobee]

For the beach, leave it in your car.

 

[Ryanxia]

""I feel sad the day you have to bring a gun to the beach. Happy you are allowed to, sad you feel the need to.""

.....So you only carry when you're expecting trouble? Doesn't seem the wisest move to me.

 

[Shoobee]

Just not at the beach.