Beach Season Starts Early in Rhode Island

If you ask me, it is still way too chilly to hit the beach, but clearly no one is asking me, because Rhode Island has announced that several state beaches will officially be open as of this weekend.

Weather permitting, Scarborough North and Roger Wheeler state beaches will be open starting this weekend, though it will be Saturdays and Sundays only, according to the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM).

This is two whole weeks ahead of the normal state beach opening and the temperatures are still only going to be in the low to mid-70s at best.

Not beach weather for me, but I'm sure plenty of people will be taking advantage, and the thought behind it makes sense.

RIDEM says it wants to help "Rhode Islanders can get outside and enjoy themselves when crowds are light" and encourage people to nab their beach passes now so they are good to go all summer long.

People are understandably ready to get outside now that the weather is getting warmer and it will indeed be a really nice weekend, and having staff at these two state beaches will definitely make them safer for those brave souls who may actually want to hit the water.

Still, it is not quite beach weather for me and I think I can wait until the calendar tells me it's summer.

But if you are planning to hit the sand and surf early this season (or anytime this season really), know that as lucky as we are to have waterfront everywhere we turn here on the SouthCoast, there are some harsh realities to New England beaches.