Carrying at the Beach

Personally....I just decided to “let it go”. I leave the gun at the car or the beach house (We often VRBO/Air BnB). If you won’t do that, I respect your desire for safety. Maybe throw a little safe in the bag.

https://www.bulldogcases.com/product/personal-safe-w-steel-combination-lock-security-cable/

They’re small and relatively light. They won’t keep out a determined thief, but will manage a curious child quite well.

I haven't read 'em all, but my concern has always been the parking lot (and the walk to and from) more than the beach itself.

Beach guns for me have been pretty much one of two, a Jennings J22 with an empty chamber, or a NAA .22LR mini-revolver. Neither has been in the water; they've always been left in the bag on the beach. To be honest, though, I don't always bring a gun down onto the beach; they get left in the truck probably half the time (along with whatever EDC I had along for the ride.)

I actually read through every post on this thread - and didn't know whether to laugh - or cry.... Living and working down here in south Florida you learn early on that there will be times when a sidearm is..... inappropriate at best (at least if you care at all about that piece of weaponry). Put mildly - between the salt and the sand bad things will happen to your handgun if you carry at the beach... so I learned early on to leave my firearms securely locked up in my vehicle if I were planning on doing any swimming. If not planning on getting wet then it was shorts and a loose fitting shirt meant to hang -not be tucked in at all. My favorites were Hawaiian style gaudy shirts (flowers and all) or what's called a guayabera down here (Cuban fashion - think of the kind of light cotton shirts with four pockets that your barber used to wear...). All in a size larger than you really need. You could conceal a full sized service weapon, revolver or semi-auto under one - all day long... and be very ready if weapons were needed... I've even worn a heavy armored vest under mine if I was wearing it on duty.... Loose fitting is the key - particularly in hot weather....

Since I was a cop and in my younger days fully willing to get into situations off duty - that in later years I learned to avoid. When asked about "exciting times" years later I always excused my foolishness saying "but I was a lot younger then..." I did carry a sidearm with me whenever I was in public (even in bars late at night). This during an era when the Miami area got so bad that most tourists simply quit coming here... I learned the hard way not to do a simple inside the waistband carry (without using a holster) after getting in a struggle with a couple of thieves off-duty (should not have under any circumstances.... but like I said - I was younger then... my only excuse) and my sidearm, a revolver, slipped out of my waistband and hit the street. My only recourse on that day was to kick it under a car while fully engaged with the guy I had hands on.... Not a good scene at all... so I learned to always use a secure holster if possible... Another tactical type thing is that small snub nosed five shot revolvers are a great way to get yourself in way over your head on the street... In my later years I always carried a full sized service weapon ( by then it was a high cap 9 or 40 cal by Smith, Beretta, or Sig...) off duty. The exact same weapon I carried on duty.... but there are still some places and some situations when you should not carry a sidearm, period. At least that's my take on it...

Back then (1973 to 1995) was well before the armed citizen movement here in Florida so you rarely ever encountered an armed individual that wasn't either in some law enforcement profession - or a bad guy, plain and simple... All of carrying firearms by ordinary citizens here didn't come about until I was long in retirement. Everyone that does carry legally will have to work out the practicalities of carrying a weapon on their person - and will find out for themselves when it is and isn't appropriate. For anyone that thinks simply concealing a firearm in the passenger compartment of a vehicle is a good idea you should know that many, many stolen guns are taken from cars.... and it's awful easy to do. Keep your weapons, if in your car... secured in the trunk where they're not visible - and a bit more secure. Remember always, though, that cars and other vehicles provide barely adequate security for your weapons even when they're in the trunk...

The thought of someone in swimming attire trying to carry concealed has me laughing whenever I think about it - and keeping a firearm hidden in a bag with you at the beach is almost as funny (if it weren't so serious - stolen guns get used on the street... keep your personal weapons secured properly - it's the only thing to do..). You'll have a few sleepless nights if your negligence adds another stolen weapon to what's available on the street for anyone with bad intentions....

I think it's important to gauge the situation and the threat.

If I were taking a sparcely populated evening stroll along the beach with my wife after dark and around the docks and out crops, you're dang right I would be carrying. In that situation, the beach offers an opportunity and motive for a bad guy. It is a soft target that is secluded and generally out of earshot. A person walking along the beach fully clothed is not swimming and thus most likely carrying a wallet.

On a fully lit daytime beach with literally hundreds of people who can witness any forceful act and any person you mug sporting probably nothing more than a few bucks for concessions stufffed in their swim suit, what is the angle? Sure a nearly naked person is about as soft of a target as you can get, but whats the payout?

Far more profitable to simply scoop up unattended bags and walk off to pilfering them in the parking lot.

Im really not seeing beach carry as a viable threat short of a whacko rolling up with murderous intent. In that case, what are my real options? Outgunned with no cover and hindered by the element of surprise. The hard truth is that in that situation, if he levels that gun at me, I'm in range, and his aim is true...he's most likely going to punch my ticket before I can fish a micro out of a pocket or fanny pack.

Lyle Wyatt said:

My post about the LCP and lots of oil, was intended to be tongue in cheek, sorry for the humor.

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Did you know that you can “edit” posts?
Just go to your post, click “edit” and you can modify it.
Just trying to be helpful.

Dressing around you gun seems like a good way to go. If you are going swimming it might be a better Idea to leave the gun at home as others have suggested. When I go to a VA medical facility I leave the CCW gun at home. It is just easier that way.

Swimming in the ocean versus not matters.
I'm not getting in the ocean past knee deep and I'm backing up if the water hits my knee.
No reason to be limited to (wearing) swimming trunks if I aint swimming; I'm wearing cargo shorts, concealing, and not shark bait.

Beach carry question, applicable most places.
Am I content with the possibility of being a unarmed victim at ______?
My answer is no.
Bulldog of opinion that knee deep on me is way too deep, he can't swim.

Most of my unpleasant encounters at a beach occurred near where I parked or in parking lots. That is where I would want a handy gun.

Though I stay away from beaches today I used to enjoy surfing in SoCal. On the beach the only crimes I witnessed were really bad swimsuit selections or people that shouldn’t be wearing swimwear at all.

Then the gangbangers started frequenting the beaches in my area. Gangsta’s and booze = stupidity with guns and machismo. Rather than deal with scum I stopped going.

Today the beaches are safer due to policing and paid parking. I hate paying for something that has already been paid for but having to pay a fee seems to keep skin-flint scumbags at bay.

Now, back to regular programming:

Carrying on the beach. I vote Fanny pack. Bags do get snatched on the beach. Also, I have seen children mistake another person’s bag or gear for their own family’s. How would you feel about some other kid finding your gun by accident? Not good, I’m sure.

I would say if you can’t carry it on you then leave locked in the car.

My 2 cents

Pat Riot said:

I would say if you can’t carry it on you then leave locked in the car.

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My thoughts also.

I've carried a Keltec P3AT in a ziploc sandwich bag in my swim shorts pocket. It's small enough that nobody notices it and easy enough to access it pretty quick if needed. The sandwich bag is durable enough that water does not leak in so I don't worry about corrosion all that much.

Depends on what beach you go to. I live a mile from the Beach. Use to be a nice place for a family to vacation, locals loved it. Lol, man has that changed. Not only have we had the riots where the Ocean Front was almost destroyed and others since then, we now have the place taken over by the same. Most locals will travel about 20 miles away to go to the beach or go to Nags Head etc. Unfortunately it is getting worse each year.And you would have to be a damn fool to go down there at night especially unarmed.

In best Mae West voice: "I that a Kel-tec in your speedo, or......?"

As much as I hate to say it, I think a fanny pack is the way to go for beach carry.

For the home, I highly recommend a loaded handgun in a quick access "gun vault" one each floor of the home. The ground floor installation can be where you park your carry gun when you come in the home.

That way you know it's secure and JR won't get into it.

IMHO, the odds of having a tragedy with a child getting their hands on a loaded gun, or you accidentally shooting a loved one in the middle of the night (because you mistake them for an intruder when it's really just JR sneaking into the living room to continue playing a video game), are much greater than a home invasion, so plan accordingly.

Rule3 said:

I stuff my gun in my Speedo and all the Women follow me around.

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I trust it isn't a Desert Eagle....

LRDGCO said:

If you sport a banana hammock...

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Not me, too much risk of killing someone with uncontrollable laughter. I've seen me in the shower, I can only imagine.

DING!DING!DING!DING! And Labnoti is the winner!
Pepper spray is definitely the way to go! I will bring several with on our upcoming beach trip... with my ccw along for the ride of course!

Anyone who knows anything knows if you carry a Glock with those little water proof o rings you can go swimming with it.

mrblenderson said:

At least in Florida it's definitely legal to carry in the zoo or library, even if if it is a state, county, or local government facility.

Doctor's office I think is the only gray area, but I believe that the reason that's often off-limits is because federal laws prohibit carrying in mental health facilities and almost all hospitals have some sort of mental health facility in the building.

I should note the one place that I do not carry is in my son's daycare, because they have a VPK program so I believe that it could count technically as a "school." That one may be gray as well, but I am also concerned that if I were ever made there he might not be welcome back regardless of the legality and I don't want to go down that road.

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A regular doctor's office is legal. It is when the doctor's office is connected with a hospital that you run into an issue.

George P said:

A regular doctor's office is legal. It is when the doctor's office is connected with a hospital that you run into an issue.

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This may also be true in IL, however our pediatrician's office is located in and affiliated with a hospital.

Define beach...

If I am walking with the kids down the beach or going up a pier where theres a bar and restraunt up top I carry a small .38.

If I am actually on the beach and having a fun time in the water any gun stays in the jeep and locked up (Jeeps gloveboxes and center consoles are lockable) I have no way to carry in trunks and even if I did beyond a super small NAA like someone mentioned trunks tend to sag down with even the tiniest bit if weight in the pockets.

The Evangelist Cowboy said:

Define beach...

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Its like a sandy strip where ocean meets the land.

The Evangelist Cowboy said:

Define beach...

If I am walking with the kids down the beach or going up a pier where theres a bar and restraunt up top I carry a small .38.

If I am actually on the beach and having a fun time in the water any gun stays in the jeep and locked up (Jeeps gloveboxes and center consoles are lockable) I have no way to carry in trunks and even if I did beyond a super small NAA like someone mentioned trunks tend to sag down with even the tiniest bit if weight in the pockets.

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Pretty much this. If I'm not planning on swimming (and I almost never swim) a pocket carry .38 in cargo shorts is what I'd do, I do the same in a life vest pocket when I Kayak. Just plan on cleaning it well when I get home.

If I am certain I'm going in the water for whatever reason I'd leave the gun in the car on that extremely rare day.

I have never felt the need to be armed at the beach.