I was just pondering why human beings naturally seem to enjoy spending time around beaches. Most people's conception of paradise would probably include a beach, but there doesn't seem to be any logical reason for it. We're land animals, so it doesn't make any sense that we'd want to go near the water. Sure, we require water to live, but the water in the ocean is full of salt, so you can't drink it. On top of that, the land that makes up beaches is composed of sand as a result of erosion. It contains relatively little biological matter, so it's useless for agriculture or producing vegetation. On the other hand, sand is likely to be cleaner and more sterile than regular soil, so that might explain why people like to spend time around it. I suppose I find the feeling of warm sand on my feet soothing and comfortable(which also might explain why children like to play in sand pits).

Interesting topic. There are several reasons, many go WAY back in human evolution. But, the quick answer is that many elements in going to the beach has healing properties. The water has the main healing property. Even when we can't go to the beach, we will use our bathtubs. And we even use bath salts. The sun also has healing properties. We get Vitamin D. You even said yourself that you find putting your feet in the sand soothing. So, going to the beach makes us feel good. (Except when we get TOO much sun.  ;) )



Cat

The sound of water is relaxing, and soothing.  It purifies the noise and hubub of city life (why people put water gardens in and fountains - to drown out town noise).  There is nothing to do but play and relax.  And the media has made it a sexy, and romantic place (from gidget, frankie and annette, blue lagoon, elvis, from here to eternity, 10, and the list goes on and on)... 

The sun also has healing properties. We get Vitamin D.


But you don't have to go to the beach to get sun. You could be in the desert, with no water around at all, and still be exposed to the sun.

What I'm asking is what makes the specific combination of sun, sand and water so special?

The sound of water is relaxing, and soothing.  It purifies the noise and hubub of city life (why people put water gardens in and fountains - to drown out town noise).  There is nothing to do but play and relax.  And the media has made it a sexy, and romantic place (from gidget, frankie and annette, blue lagoon, elvis, from here to eternity, 10, and the list goes on and on)... 


Yes...I love the sound of the waves crashing when I'm holidaying at the beach. I'm not a water person at all (hey...I'm an Aussie who can't swim). ....but I still like to get into the surf (wading depth) ...do a little body surfing...go for long walks on the beach....explore the rocky areas. Two weeks holidaying at the beach seems to de-stress me and I feel I lead a healthier life style.  But .... I can't handle too much sun!!

Yes...I love the sound of the waves crashing when I'm holidaying at the beach. I'm not a water person at all (hey...I'm an Aussie who can't swim). ....but I still like to get into the surf (wading depth) ...do a little body surfing...go for long walks on the beach....explore the rocky areas. Two weeks holidaying at the beach seems to de-stress me and I feel I lead a healthier life style.  But .... I can't handle too much sun!!
What a picture - you sound like prime shark bait  ::)  White bellied animal thrashing about in the water  :D

What a picture - you sound like prime shark bait  ::)  White bellied animal thrashing about in the water  :D


The sharks aren't interested in me!  :-\\  Just spit me out.....    Wonder why? ;)

The sharks aren't interested in me!  :-\\  Just spit me out.....    Wonder why? ;)
vial, rotten, putrid, pus pocket you are I guess ???


;D ;D ;D

Sun over beach!
http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/13/icon_sunny.gif

the hot women in string bikinis! O0

;D

But you don't have to go to the beach to get sun. You could be in the desert, with no water around at all, and still be exposed to the sun.

What I'm asking is what makes the specific combination of sun, sand and water so special?


Have you ever been to a beach, especially one in a tropical climate? If not, then I guess it's just one of those things you need to experience firsthand and immerse yourself in to truly appreciate.

If you ever get the opportunity and/or save up enough dough, then I highly recommend taking a vacation to a tropical beach at some point in your life, I'll bet you'd love it.  ;)

I think there is a deep memory which we inherited from a distant relative (the fossil Lucy).  An old book my Elaine Morgan called "The Decent of Woman" claimed that these ancestors lived on beaches near  lakes, where they fled to escape the lions and tigers and bears (oh my).  That explains a few things about us that are different than any other primate.  We have very little hair (not a good insulator in water) but do have subclutainiuos fat  (a very good insulator in water).  If she's right, and some evidence points to it, than the love of water and beaches is buried deep in our race memory.

vial, rotten, putrid, pus pocket you are I guess ???


;D ;D ;D


Oh shucks....I'm blushing!  ::)

Oh shucks....I'm blushing!  ::)
the redness just proves you are infected ;D ;D ;D

I was just pondering why human beings naturally seem to enjoy spending time around beaches. Most people's conception of paradise would probably include a beach, but there doesn't seem to be any logical reason for it. We're land animals, so it doesn't make any sense that we'd want to go near the water. Sure, we require water to live, but the water in the ocean is full of salt, so you can't drink it. On top of that, the land that makes up beaches is composed of sand as a result of erosion. It contains relatively little biological matter, so it's useless for agriculture or producing vegetation. On the other hand, sand is likely to be cleaner and more sterile than regular soil, so that might explain why people like to spend time around it. I suppose I find the feeling of warm sand on my feet soothing and comfortable(which also might explain why children like to play in sand pits).


We humans are visual creatures. The beach is visually attractive, therefore we like it. It's all about the fantasy; I mean, we're not sticking our tongue down and drinking the water anytime soon.

I was just pondering why human beings naturally seem to enjoy spending time around beaches.


If it's too hot, you can cool off.  Just hop in, and hop out.  30 seconds later, you're no longer dying of heatstroke!

And then, there's fish there.  Fish are a lot easier to catch than, say, water buffalo.  And there are so many of 'em that if you don't get the first one, you don't bother chasing it, you just wait for the next one.

And if you're after some good eatin' on a low-caloric-expenditure sort of budget, all that food talk goes double after you've figured out that some of those weird-lookin' invertebrate species (lobster, crawdads, crabs, clams, mussels, oysters) happen to be good eatin'.  I mean, the bugs are tasty, but the bivalves are a source of protein that not only doesn't fight back, it can't even run away!

If it's too hot, you can cool off.  Just hop in, and hop out.  30 seconds later, you're no longer dying of heatstroke!

And then, there's fish there.  Fish are a lot easier to catch than, say, water buffalo.  And there are so many of 'em that if you don't get the first one, you don't bother chasing it, you just wait for the next one.

And if you're after some good eatin' on a low-caloric-expenditure sort of budget, all that food talk goes double after you've figured out that some of those weird-lookin' invertebrate species (lobster, crawdads, crabs, clams, mussels, oysters) happen to be good eatin'.  I mean, the bugs are tasty, but the bivalves are a source of protein that not only doesn't fight back, it can't even run away!



As long as oil isn't included.



Cat

As long as oil isn't included.


Well, back in the day the only oil on the beaches came from the natural seeps and the tar pits, because we hadn't used all the easily-accessible oil back then. 

But now that you mention it, and as long as this is our evolutionary biology thread, it's time to play Who's the Dumb Ape?

As long as oil isn't included.



Cat


Just olive oil...

Isn't there a game called the Island game where people pick one book that they'd read if they were stranded?

Beaches or books? Beaches or books?  ;)

The sand is soft and warm.  The surf is fun, cool, and refreshing.  We enjoy the sounds of the crashing waves and the sea birds, and the breezes whistling in beach grass.  You can smell the fresh ocean breeze, the sand the salt, and the marshes.  We used to hide among the dunes, build candles, and body surf.  It involves all five senses but the nature of beach is to feel a pleasurable tactile sensation in nature.  That would be the most primal reason above pure survival -- seeing the beach analytically, poetically, metaphorically, and conceptually play roles in everything but the tactile.

  Maybe nothing.  Some humans are attracted to mountains, some to sparse savannas, some to urban environments, some to theme parks, some to deserts, some to the sky (skydivers/parachutists) and, still further, to outer space &etc.  Just personal preference, perhaps...

Nothing feels better than feeling the waves run over your body.  I could sit and watch the water forever...but I'd rather be in it.  There's just something about the ocean.  I, personally am drawn to it.  I don't know why.  It's soothing to me.  Calming. 

I dated a girl many years ago who turned into a beach!!!  :o

I dated a girl many years ago who turned into a beach!!!  :o


http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/10/twak.gif

I dated a girl many years ago who turned into a beach!!!  :o


a fookin beach?

When I am at the beach, I find it spiritual. Especially if it is a beach with not many people. It seems eternal. It Just seems to go on and on with the ebb and flow of the waves. Plus it is a part of God's creation. I seem so insignificant at the beach, with such an expanse of scenery, and the huge powerful sea. Plus, it is an escape from the busyness of life. No door to answer, or phone to ring, or any one at all to place their agenda on me. I'm kinda free, lost in it all. Thank God for the sea. Cheers.

When I am at the beach, I find it spiritual. Especially if it is a beach with not many people. It seems eternal. It Just seems to go on and on with the ebb and flow of the waves. Plus it is a part of God's creation. I seem so insignificant at the beach, with such an expanse of scenery, and the huge powerful sea. Plus, it is an escape from the busyness of life. No door to answer, or phone to ring, or any one at all to place their agenda on me. I'm kinda free, lost in it all. Thank God for the sea. Cheers.


I love the way you described the beach!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhyDHOM6_5U

I couldn't tell you, because I really couldn't care less if I never go to a beach ever again.

Oh, it's nice once in a while, and I wouldn't begrudge going with someone who really wanted to and needs a pal, but I think it's too boring - and exposed to the sun.  Thus, I never have any compulsion to go.

I much prefer greenery and the shade of trees.  If I want water (ignoring the pool), I have creeks and ponds.  Very cool, fascinating plant life and creatures and rocks (sometimes fossils).  And much more interesting to look at than just sand and water and sky.  I don't usually need sunglasses or hats, either.

I couldn't tell you, because I really couldn't care less if I never go to a beach ever again.

Oh, it's nice once in a while, and I wouldn't begrudge going with someone who really wanted to and needs a pal, but I think it's too boring - and exposed to the sun.  Thus, I never have any compulsion to go.

I much prefer greenery and the shade of trees.  If I want water (ignoring the pool), I have creeks and ponds.  Very cool, fascinating plant life and creatures and rocks (sometimes fossils).  And much more interesting to look at than just sand and water and sky.  I don't usually need sunglasses or hats, either.


Not all beaches are shadeless.  All of the ones in Puerto Rico, and most tropical islands, are fringed with palm trees and such, and interesting plant and aquatic life, and lots of birds.  Not all beaches are the "Jersey shore".

Not all beaches are shadeless.  All of the ones in Puerto Rico, and most tropical islands, are fringed with palm trees and such, and interesting plant and aquatic life, and lots of birds.  Not all beaches are the "Jersey shore".


My Let's Go to Hell guide said there was a, ahem, "clothing optional" beach in Brighton.  I was in Brighton.  I checked it out.  A perfect June day on the English Riviera -- fifty-seven Fahrenheit and drizzling -- revealed one hundred meters of gravel by the sea!
:-[

My Let's Go to Hell guide said there was a, ahem, "clothing optional" beach in Brighton.  I was in Brighton.  I checked it out.  A perfect June day on the English Riviera -- fifty-seven Fahrenheit and drizzling -- revealed one hundred meters of gravel by the sea!
:-[


"clothing optional"?  :o

I enjoy going to the beach as long as it isn't like Myrtle Beach or Daytona. I like going to less populated places.  I don't really swim out very far because of my fear of what's below the surface. 

I find it very relaxing to just listen to the waves and read a good book. 

"clothing optional"?  :o


Yes, Howard, there are beaches like that - your kind of beach no doubt. ;) ;)

Yes, Howard, there are beaches like that - your kind of beach no doubt. ;) ;)


point me to the place and I'll be there.

point me to the place and I'll be there.


There's one near Brattelburogh VT, out in the woods, and another near Bennington at a lake.  But truth to tell, public nudity is legal in VT as long as you don't disrobe in public, or hahem,  "touch" youself.  Last  month a chick in Montpelier went for a walk nude, lots of photos were taken.  Missed it, darn

There's one near Brattelburogh VT, out in the woods, and another near Bennington at a lake.  But truth to tell, public nudity is legal in VT as long as you don't disrobe in public, or hahem,  "touch" youself.  Last  month a chick in Montpelier went for a walk nude, lots of photos were taken.  Missed it, darn



It is spelled Brattleboro.  ;)  Actually, the beach is in Newfane and it is privately owned but the owner does not mind the public using it-at least it was that way when I lived in the area in the 1990s.



Cat

There's one near Brattelburogh VT, out in the woods, and another near Bennington at a lake.  But truth to tell, public nudity is legal in VT as long as you don't disrobe in public, or hahem,  "touch" youself.  Last  month a chick in Montpelier went for a walk nude, lots of photos were taken.  Missed it, darn


Is it legal in NYC? ???

Is it legal in NYC? ???


I have no idea

I have no idea


There shouldn't be a reason why anyone can't go to a nude beach in New York. ???

There shouldn't be a reason why anyone can't go to a nude beach in New York. ???
that "no touching yourself" part will get ya Howard  ;)

that "no touching yourself" part will get ya Howard  ;)


That one I can't help.  :-[

There shouldn't be a reason why anyone can't go to a nude beach in New York. ???


If you ever do go to a nude beach, make sure to think of unsexy thoughts while you're rubbing suntan lotion on your, uh, delicate parts.  :o :o :o

Has anyone here every actually been to a nude beach?











































Besides me?




Cat

If you ever do go to a nude beach, make sure to think of unsexy thoughts while you're rubbing suntan lotion on your, uh, delicate parts.  :o :o :o


There's no way you can think of unsexy thoughts.

Has anyone here every actually been to a nude beach?











































Besides me?




Cat



Nope,can't say that I have.

Has anyone here every actually been to a nude beach?


I respect and honor the Geneva Convention, so... no, I haven't.

I respect and honor the Geneva Convention, so... no, I haven't.


I have.  It was a hippie thing one of the local millionaires was doing with a quarry on his property.  My parents were hippies, so they took us to the quarry.  I was too bashful, even at seven, to go nude.  It was like any other beach except some people were buck naked.  Apparently, spying on a nude beach is more exciting than going to one because the millionaire would sit up in his Frank Lloyd Wright-style mansion on the cliffs and focus his telescope on the heavenly bodies...young blondes on the beach!  We didn't find this out until years after the fact.  My sisters were mortified.  I thought, "So?  I'd prolly do the same thing!"
http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/07/naughty.gif

I have.  It was a hippie thing one of the local millionaires was doing with a quarry on his property.  My parents were hippies, so they took us to the quarry.  I was too bashful, even at seven, to go nude.  It was like any other beach except some people were buck naked.  Apparently, spying on a nude beach is more exciting than going to one because the millionaire would sit up in his Frank Lloyd Wright-style mansion on the cliffs and focus his telescope on the heavenly bodies...young blondes on the beach!  We didn't find this out until years after the fact.  My sisters were mortified.  I thought, "So?  I'd prolly do the same thing!"
http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/07/naughty.gif



Aw Max,you should've brought a camera with you.  :D

I'm not attracted to beaches. Does this mean I'm not a human being?

I'm not attracted to beaches. Does this mean I'm not a human being?


Maybe it means that you are a desert person

The sand is soft and warm.  The surf is fun, cool, and refreshing.  We enjoy the sounds of the crashing waves and the sea birds, and the breezes whistling in beach grass.  You can smell the fresh ocean breeze, the sand the salt, and the marshes.  We used to hide among the dunes, build candles, and body surf.  It involves all five senses but the nature of beach is to feel a pleasurable tactile sensation in nature.  That would be the most primal reason above pure survival -- seeing the beach analytically, poetically, metaphorically, and conceptually play roles in everything but the tactile.



I love the way you described the beach!


Me too  :D

I can nearly feel the salty wind flattering my hair as I walk along the beach leaving footsprings behind.

Well this MaxwellSmart is really smart, I agree every line, each word he wrote.
To say it wasn’t perfect performed would be an understatement.

Everything's "beachy" when we're on the beach
Mr Sandman fulfills our dreams as the sun lightens us in a beam
Children love staying in the sand with a pail, then they run to the water their buckets to fill and nothing to do but play and worry beautiful Sara.
We're land animals sprouted from the ocean, so we come there back as much as we can.

and me I love it like Cat for I love going back in time just in my short lifetime, when I was the child who every summer turned tanned day after day. The same as 2kidsami the sound of water soothes my soul as nothing else can do, even when the brave waves splash in a roar my soul soars just as Gibbo told us.
Mother nature have a lot of faces, the beach is one of them, therefore I go see her ocean face every time I need to.
I bet you know the spirit is the invisible nature and nature is the visible spirit, so it's normal aussie find spiritual the beach, mainly when you're alone rather than being with kinda string bikinis around.

I think Howard isn't mystical at all, but material when it comes the beach and the girls. :D

Paco a human being attracted to the beaches a creatures thereof  ::) :P :D

Beaches, here, in Puerto Rico.

The white sand is warm, the low waves of the Caña Gorda lagoon wash the beach.  The pines and palms on the beach shade our beach blankets from the searing Caribbean sun.  We (Cat and I) walk into the luke warm water, which washes the sweat from our bodies and refreshes us from the heat of the day.  we wade out into the very gradually deepening water until we are 150 yards of the shore and up to Cat's shoulders.  We hug, we spin each other in the clear turquoise water.  We dive under, hand in hand.  WE soak in the healing power of the wonderful gift of the Goddess, and of the God.  Since we are alone in this wonderful paradise...

Carlos...you just described your walk in the beach as a Shangri-la for all of us.
Is there any room for me in the Caribbean sea ? although I surf as a cow, I love bathing-sun and get all soaked  :D
http://il.youtube.com/watch?v=DUY9S1Et2ao&feature=watch_response_rev

If some day I could afford such a paradise,
pitty I got some fences like dough and otherwise  ::)

Carlos...you just described your walk in the beach as a Shangri-la for all of us.
Is there any room for me in the Caribbean sea ? although I surf as a cow, I love bathing-sun and get all soaked  :D
http://il.youtube.com/watch?v=DUY9S1Et2ao&feature=watch_response_rev

If some day I could afford such a paradise,
pitty I got some fences like dough and otherwise  ::)



Sure there's room, but you need to bring, or find, your own "Cat". 

Sure there's room, but you need to bring, or find, your own "Cat". 



Yup-this is a One-Carlos Cat.  ;)


Cat

If you don't disllike an old salt
I could go with Pangur Ban
my imaginery faithful cat
unless I'll be at border banned.

:)

I really love this poem


I and Pangur Ban, my cat,
'Tis a like task we are at;
Hunting mice is his delight,
Hunting words I sit all night.

Better far than praise of men
'Tis to sit with book and pen;
Pangur bears me no ill will,
He too plies his simple skill.

'Tis a merry thing to see
At our tasks how glad are we,
When at home we sit and find
Entertainment to our mind.

Oftentimes a mouse will stray
In the hero Pangur's way;
Oftentimes my keen thought set
Takes a meaning in its net.

'Gainst the wall he sets his eye
Full and fierce and sharp and sly;
'Gainst the wall of knowledge I
All my little wisdom try.

When a mouse runs from its den,
O how glad is Pangur then!
O what gladness do I prove
When I solve the doubts I love!

So in peace our tasks we ply,
Pangur Ban, my cat, and I;
In our arts we find our bliss,
I have mine and he has his.

Practice every day has made
Pangur perfect in his trade;
I get wisdom day and night
Turning darkness into light.


It would be fine a day's run sitting on either side of the tiller, Carlos.

See you soon

Has anyone here every actually been to a nude beach?











































Besides me?




Cat

I went to one a couple of years ago in St. Martin.  :)

I went to one a couple of years ago in St. Martin.   :)


How was your experience?

How was your experience?


It really wasn't that big of a deal.  ;D

It really wasn't that big of a deal.   ;D



so you didn't gawk at any nude guy?

I hate every single thing about the beach!  The heat, the salt water, damn sand, the smell of suntan lotion, radios blasting tunes I do not want to hear, bathing suits 4 sizes too small.  The list is endless... 8-P

I hate every single thing about the beach!  The heat, the salt water, damn sand, the smell of suntan lotion, radios blasting tunes I do not want to hear, bathing suits 4 sizes too small.  The list is endless... 8-P


That's one of the things I really LIKE about beaches ;) ;)

I like gawking at the hot bikinis.  ;)

That's one of the things I really LIKE about beaches ;) ;)


I find it's never people you would actually want to see naked that are drawn to this practice.

I find it's never people you would actually want to see naked that are drawn to this practice.


Sometimes, but I ignore them

That's one of the things I really LIKE about beaches ;) ;)



Maybe the next time we go to the beach I will be 4 sizes smaller.  ;)



Cat

I love beaches: swimming, the sea creatures (sea horses, dolphins!...), picking up exotic shells, but especially the water! I like looking at the colour of water and I could sit for hours just looking at waves.

Yet despite my love for beaches, I'm not sure if I'm also drawn to forests/woodlands just as much as beaches or even more (funny since I'm a pisces  I like trees and looking at the leaf development from spring to fall (I do get a little sad when they become bare). The forests/woodlands often also contain ponds, marshes, and little lakes....home for beavers, turtles, frogs, cattails, and other fine creatures. I'm not sure if I'm really into camping but I sure like going to cottages!

i love the salt of the ocean and the sand of the beach

the primordial stew from which life comes and to which life returns

i love the salt of the ocean and the sand of the beach

the primordial stew from which life comes and to which life returns

Me too.  And the sound of the waves relaxes me immediately.  All the competing thoughts and ideas bumping around in my brain just seem to stop and take a rest.  I love walking the beach, lying in the sun on the beach, swimming in the vastness of the ocean.  I feel at home there.

But some people don't.  I lived for a long time where there was no beach but big mountains.  The mountains were nice, but didn't "call" me.  Others would never leave there.

I love beaches!!

Nice,warm and pleasant!! (I dont like thinking of the sats in the sky though taking pics of ya)

I love beaches!!

Nice,warm and pleasant!! (I dont like thinking of the sats in the sky though taking pics of ya)


I can honestly say I have never thought of sats in the sky taking pictures of me.  Next time, I'll be sure to smile  8)

They just want to see people half naked,that's why!  :D

Can't explain why, but I can watch the tide come in, then go back out again, then again...and again.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3582/3877176589_5a0436f625_o.jpg