Category: Beach

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Sunglasses for the Beach in Ocean City

Have fun at the beach but please remember to protect your eyes.

Who doesn’t want to spend a day, a weekend, or the whole summer relaxing in the sun and surf? The beach is certainly a great place for the young and the young-at-heart to get away for a while. However, despite the fun and enjoyment we get from splashing in the surf, sun bathing, dolphin watching, having a picnic, playing some form of beach ball, and enjoying a frozen Margarita on the boardwalk, it is also essential to protect ourselves and our eyes from harmful effects of the sun’s radiation.

Got Sunglasses at the Beach
Got Sunglasses?

Sunshine benefits our bodies by providing Vitamin D, a feeling of warmth and life, and a reduction in stress. However, it also contains some harmful by-products – in the form of Ultraviolet Radiation (UV rays) – which are quite harmful to our health, more specifically, our skin and eyes.

These UV rays have two components, UVA and UVB, both of whch promote the formation of eye-related diseases, such as macular degeneration and cataracts, “clouding the eye’s lens and leading to diminished eyesight.” Additionally, UVB is linked directly to skin cancer. Our eyelids, because they very thin are actually “vulnerable” – more susceptable to skin cancer that we realize.

Everyone should be wearing sunglasses just as they do sunscreen, and that’s a fact of life that we, unfortunately, often overlook. By wearing a pair of well-designed, authentic (read that, quality) sunglasses we can help limit and possibly deter our exposure to these harmful UV rays. It is important that beach-travelers get a pair of sunglasses that block 99% to 100% of UVA and UVB rays – AND WEAR THEM.

While “skinny” designer styles may look cool, it is important to find sunglasses with larger lenses because they cover a wider range of skin and reduce the chance of UV ray penetration from the sides, top and bottom. Yes, bottom – because the sand and water reflect the sun’s energy back UP onto your face and eyes.

There are myriad shops in Ocean City, on the boardwalk and elsewhere, where you can shop and choose among a large selection of branded authentic sunglasses, such as Ray Ban, Armani, and Gucci. These sunglasses provide blockage of UV rays and they also have wide lenses to cover a broader range of protection around the eyes!

The next time you gals (and guys!) hit up the beach, remember to wear those sunglasses to provide protection from the harmful rays of the sunlight – and you will look stylin’ at the same time!

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OC the Beach Umbrellas

Stay cool in the shade and protect yourself from sunburn.

A beach umbrella will help you get the most out of your beach holiday. Are you fed up with looking for a small patch of shade to sit in on the beach? Maybe jostling with your partner to squeeze yourselves in? Well, you can now say goodbye to struggling to fit in the shade. A good beach umbrella will provide enough shade for you and your partner to sit comfortably in beach chairs, with room for the kids to play in the sand in front, protected from the fierceness of the sun above. You will also enjoy protection from blowing sand. All in all you will have a much more comfortable beach experience if you take along a good umbrella.

Crowded Beach Umbrellas Expressionism

When shopping for a beach umbrella, look for a good-sized one – an 8 foot diameter is a good baseline. Dull anodized aluminum is a good choice for the pole, being rust-free and light-weight. Many umbrellas have anchor spiraling at the end of the pole, for extra sturdiness in the sand.

A good choice of material for the ribs is fiberglass, and make sure there are enough ribs to make the umbrella sturdy and safe. Sixteen ribs are usually sufficient for a sturdy, long-lasting umbrella.

The best umbrellas come with adjustable metal tilts so you can set the umbrella at the optimal angle to cast the maximum shadow. The umbrella covering itself can be made from various materials – a popular choice is weatherproof polyester coated with Teflon. Look also for vents in the canopy which allow for air release and help prevent the umbrella from inverting.

Finally, your ideal beach umbrella will have some provision for transportation and storage – look for an umbrella that comes with its own light-weight fabric carrying bag.

Beach umbrellas usually come in attractive, vibrant colors which not only look good, but also make good markers for youngsters to return to on the beach.

A good beach umbrella is an attractive fashion accessory which will turn heads on the beach – believe me, people sweltering in the full glare of the sun will be very envious. Even more importantly, it will offer protection to you and your family from the potentially harmful rays of the sun, and make the beach experience what it was always meant to be – a fun, relaxing time for the family to bond. Especially if you have young children with you, you will not regret the investment you made in your beach umbrella.

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Ocean City Webcams Beach and Boardwalk

Boardwalk Cam or Beach Cam – keep an eye on the beach.

Here’s a year-’round view of your favorite beach(es). And here’s a picture of one camera in location (we’ll be adding more).

Ocean City Boardwalk Cam at Dorchester Street
Downtown on the Boards among the shops and amusements. 

Thrasher’s French Fries Webcam
Did you know that Thrasher’s Fries has their own webcam? A frycam, perhaps?

Ocean City Boardwalk Cam – Ocean City, Maryland, Boardwalk Cam shows a view looking north toward the “famous” Thrasher’s French Fries stand.

Boardwalkcam in Ocean City
The Ocean City Boardwalk Cam is located in a plexiglass camera mount at the southeren end of the Playland building.

Harbor Watch Web Cam – This Ocean City Live Camera, and the two below, are a free service from your friends at The Harrison Group. It is at Harrison’s Harbor Watch Restaurant & Raw Bar, has a very fast refresh rate and YOU can control it.

Plim Plaza Boardwalk & Beach Web Cam – This BeachCam is on top of the Plim Plaza Hotel at 2nd Street on the Boards.

SurfCam at the Castle – The Castle in the Sand Hotel has a “Surf” Cam that you can control through a digital interface. It also has an awesome full-screen image mode. Slow, but worth the wait.

Getting here or heading home?

Maryland CHART (Coordinated Highways Action Response Team) Traffic-cams

Other area beach webcams – Bethany Beach and Rehoboth Beach.

Bethany Beach Boardwalk Cam – Bethany Beach, DE Boardwalk Cam.

Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk Cam – Rehoboth Beach, DE Boardwalk Cam.