Is the Beach Actually Any Fun?
Perspectives from all sides of the ocean-holiday debate
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For centuries, human beings feared the sea. “Any 17th-century European pirate could tell you terrifying tales of sea monsters dwelling in the dark waters,” Adee Braun wrote in 2013. “A pirate was about as likely to swim in the sea as a pilot is to jump out of his plane.” And the beach, “as the gateway to the sea,” wasn’t very compelling either.
Braun went on to explain that beaches remained largely empty until the 18th century, when the English began to investigate the possible medicinal effects of the ocean. Cold sea water was introduced as a “wonder drug” for the ailments of British high society. And the rest is sandy history.
Nowadays, beaches are well-established sites of luxury, but in recent years, Atlantic contributors have started to question whether oceanside holidays are actually any fun. Last year, the writer Lauren Groff made a compelling case for the “psychological torment” that kicks in if you start to think about the unintended consequences of a beach vacation on the surrounding environment and place. But she began her essay with a compelling description of the physical torment of the beach, too:
I hate the beach. My skin burns and blisters as soon as the sun touches it, I dislike sweating without exercising, and sand makes no sense at all to me—it’s just hot and gritty dirt that other people apparently enjoy rolling around in. I was raised by parents whose idea of leisure is cutting miles of trails in the woods and painting an entire house by hand, so the prospect of enforced idleness makes me panicky. Plus, the ocean itself, while aesthetically pleasing, is terrifyingly untrustworthy.
Personally, I find swimming in the ocean—or even just staring out at the water—to be one of life’s great joys. Still, I hear Groff’s point about the dark side of a day in the sun. Today’s reading list encompasses all sides of the beach debate.
On Beaches
Beware the Luxury Beach Resort
By Lauren Groff
These ostensible paradises have a dark side.
The Historic Healing Power of the Beach
By Adee Braun
When doctors prescribed sun and sea to improve circulation and contract tumors
Beach Vacationers Are Doing It Wrong
By Richard A. Friedman
To really take a break, try vigorous exercise.
Still Curious?
- A haven of two kinds: Super-rare angel sharks are thriving in a fake beach full of tourists.
- We’re in denial about our dogs: Pets love beaches—and wreak havoc on their wildlife.
Other Diversions
P.S.
My colleague Rachel Gutman-Wei reported last week that there’s a lifeguard shortage in America—and that there’s been a lifeguard shortage for a century, if recurring headlines are to be believed. Lifeguarding might not be the most in-demand summer job—we’re no longer in the Baywatch era of the ’90s, when lifeguards were endlessly glorified—but those who protect our pools and beaches haven’t been forgotten, Gutman writes: “If the lifeguard is once again an endangered species, it’s still beloved: more like a giant panda than a Gerlach’s cockroach.”
— Isabel
