Oak Island Beach Ambassadors
Oak Island has more than 9 miles of public beach and provides 67 street-front access points as well as many other marked pathways to allow people to get to the strand. We love our beach and want to share its wonders with everyone.
To help protect the beach and those who come here, as well as share information about Oak Island events and amenities, the Beach Preservation Society, Inc. and the Town of Oak Island support volunteer Beach Ambassadors (OIBA).
What do Beach Ambassadors do?
From May to September teams of Ambassadors patrol sections of the beach to interact with beachgoers, while monitoring and beach conditions.
Ambassadors’ patrols cover about a mile of assigned beach, and are walked on weekends and some days during the week. Ambassadors can choose their own schedules, but some weekend service is expected.
A typical encounter might include answering questions about places to eat, number of sea turtle nests identified to date, and the types of family activities that are available.
Beach Ambassadors are also the friendly face of Oak Island’s serious beach rules. The Town posts ordinances prominently at all access points as well.
Remove all beach gear by 8:30pm
Fill all holes
Keep people, pets and gear out of, and off of, the dunes
No glass on the beach or in beach accesses
Keep dogs on leash 24/7 and pick up waste
No bonfires May 1 to November 15
Between personal interactions, Ambassadors may pick up trash on the beach, fill in abandoned holes, and note beach conditions that might need the help of Town staff.
Join us!
Individuals interested in becoming a Beach Ambassador must:
Ambassadors are people over 21 who apply for the program with a positive approach to the protection of the beach as well as the value of beach tourism. Applicants are subject to a background check and go through a training program before beginning their patrols in the summer. They must have stamina, mobility, and maturity.
Ambassadors are expected to commit to at least 20 hours of service in the tourist season [mid-May through Labor Day]. They report regularly to the Program Manager and may also address concerns to designated Town personnel. Ambassadors are not enforcers, but like other responsible citizens, they may call the police if an ordinance is being ignored after reminders are given.
Interested?
Contact Cheryl Cook, OIBA Program Manager, at okibpsi@gmail.com
Protecting Oak Island’s Beach is Everyone’s Concern!
End of 2022 Season Beach Ambassador Program Update
1. The 9th season began with 28 trained volunteers. It appears that we will conclude the year with 24. The season officially ends this Friday, September 9.
2. Through August 31, we logged 462 beach patrols and 769 volunteer hours. These are the best numbers since 2019, and the second best in our 9-year history.
3. Large abandoned holes were once again our #1 problem this year. In July, David Kelly agreed for me to send him and Scott Thornall, as soon as it is found, a pic of every hole deemed too large for an ambassador to fill. Scott would then dispatch personnel to fill it. Scott and his team have been very responsive to this.
4. Dune violations are still a problem, but it’s mainly because most people don’t know where the toe of the dune is. Also, sea oat vegetation, which is usually our guideline, stops at the top of the dune in the area of new sand.
5. The new Beach Services Unit, operated by the OIPD, has been helpful. They are out 7 days a week, from 10 AM to 6 PM. Ambassadors routinely encounter them on the beach, and sometimes there are duplications of contacts, but we are still glad they are out there.
6. The new emergency access signs, indicating updated personal property restrictions, are great if people would just read them, but few do. We constantly have to move groups of people out of the accesses in order to keep them clear to the water.
7. During the week before Labor Day, Public Works installed the new signs at every access with a lifesaving tube attached to them. The signs are also printed with the street number or the name of the access.
8. The John Deere Beach Ambassador Gator had more mechanical problems in late August, which forced me to sideline it. After visiting Quality Engineering and discussing the situation with a Regional Manager, they will take another look at it at their Kinston, NC facility, where a 30-year Master Technician will review it. It will be done at no expense to the Town, except for arranging transportation.
Skip Cox
End of 2021 Season Beach Ambassador Program Update
This September marks the end of our 8th beach ambassador season. We got a late start again this year, due to Covid-19. We were not able to begin beach patrols until Memorial Day weekend. We began the season with 26 trained ambassadors and finished with 24 who were still active. 14 were returning from last year, and we had 12 new ones. Together, they logged 346 individual patrols and 600 volunteer hours. This was quite an improvement over last year’s 323 hours. Our season officially concluded on Friday, September 10.
I am pleased to report that our visitors and residents demonstrated very good behavior on our beach this season. There were no unusual encounters and no major issues. We still dealt with abandoned holes and plenty of glass containers, but we remain committed to dealing with each as we encounter them. According to the reports I received, I think there was a slight reduction in beach litter this season, which is great considering how crowded our beach was. Also, I was initially very concerned about dune violations and dune destruction west of Middleton, due to the temporary “Direct Beach Access” allowance. While there were plenty of man-made beach accesses through the dunes, and many portable mats and post and rope crossovers over the dunes, most of the potential abuses did not materialize. Finally, loose dogs are always an annoyance on our beach, but especially when violators say they are residents, they know the rules, but still refuse to leash their dog. Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do about that.
Once again, we appreciated seeing the police on the beach in their ATVs. They were visible most days and weekends. We are thankful for their presence, and there is always a good response to them from our ambassadors, as well as the beach public.
There does seem to be some unlawful use of golf carts on the beach. During the season we observed golf carts on the beach that did not seem to be properly identified per the Oak Island Ordinance 28-6. Perhaps this can be addressed during the off-season so that those in authority can monitor and correct any violations of the ordinance.
Skip Cox, Program Manager