Port Aransas beach conditions (San Antonio, Corpus Christi: eat, oil, pool)

[sanantoniomac]

Hello all,
I posted this same question on the Corpus Christi forum, but so far no one has answered. Has anyone been to Port Aransas lately? We are going in a few weeks and were wondering about the beach/water conditions. I know that seaweed was a big problem (worse than usual) earlier in the summer, but don't know if it's as much of a nuisance now. Our neighbors went down between Alex and that second tropical disturbance and said the water was full of trash AND seaweed...maybe kicked up by Alex? They came back to San Antonio the same day because it was too disgusting.

We'll probably still go regardless of the conditions, but just don't want to get our hopes up if the beach is still a mess of seaweed.

Many thanks!

[icsatx]

We went to North Padre last weekend. Yes, the seaweed problem is still there. Saturday morning and early afternoon was not too bad. There was a lot but still tolerable. But by late afternoon (4-5 pm), the seaweed was just so bad that we left the water and just stayed by the beach.

[SnappyBob]

I was in Port A the week before July 4th and the seaweed was bad. The worst part for me is the smell of rotting seaweed on the beach. Having said that. I would go back and sit on the beach today it I could. If you sit upwind from the sea weed on the beach you don't smell it at all. After all it's just seaweed. It has been washing up on that beach forever. Of course I enjoy a nice clean, pristine beach as much as the next person but I wouldn't let seaweed ruin my beach time. Be thankful that, for the time being, we don't have to worry about oil washing up on our beaches.

[Snowglobe]

Just had to say...a bad day at the beach is better than a good day at work!

[sanantoniomac]

Thanks, everybody, for your responses! We're also just happy to be at the beach whenever we can make it down there, so at least now it won't be such a big shock if the seaweed is still bad at the end of July. And yes, we are thankful that for now, we are not having to worry about tarballs on the beach.

[sa dave]

You worry about tar balls?
I worry about dudes with speedos smuggling plums.

here's a beach website devoted to providing info on beach conditions.
http://texasbeachwatch.com/

[sa dave]

No more tar balls...!
wish i could say the same about the speedo endemic.

BP: No oil leaking into Gulf from busted well - Yahoo! News (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100715/ap_on_bi_ge/us_gulf_oil_spill - broken link)

[breezeaire]

Kids and I were there week of July 4th. They seem to clean the beach every morning working up to marker 25. Some times people are just in the way for their big trucks. We bring a good rake and clean off small area where we camp.

I think the seagulls were eating bean & seaweed burritos this last time.

[BenjaminNicholas]

Was there last weekend: Seaweed galore, but no tar.

It wouldn't kill Port A to invest in some heavy-duty sand cleaners. They could easily control the seaweed issue if they had the right equipment and it would certainly make that part of Texas coastline more enjoyable.

My main peeve with Port A (and TX coast in general) is the bathwater-like temp of the ocean. Sometimes on a hot day, it's just not anywhere near refreshing and I long to jump back into the pool wherever I'm staying on the island.



BN

[Sweetie Pie]

We were at Port A last weekend as well. We didn't drive too far down the beach from "G" Ave entrance. Got there about 11 A.M. and a bulldozer was clearing off the seaweed about 20 yds. away. He had to stop I guess, because the beach was getting pretty crowded about that time. By the time we left at 3:00 that area was so crowded with people, I was seriously getting claustrophobic. I think next time, I'd rather drive down the beach a few more miles, and deal with the seawead, than the overbearing and obnoxious people.