Great advice from the lifeguards at the Black Pelican Beach Access in Kitty Hawk.
It's hot today. It's really hot. Just checked Weather Underground and the dubious prize for the hottest place in North Carolina for today goes to Kill Devil Hills topping out at 99 degrees.
Luckily the ocean temperature is just perfect right now, hovering around 68-70 degrees. A bit of a shock to the system when toes hit the water, but once in, there doesn't seem to be a good reason to get out. Of course, humans can't take up permanent residence in the sea, and once back on dry land there are a couple of thing it is important to do when it get this hot.
First of all-drink water . . . and lots of it. That huge, frosted soda from a convenience store? It's probably a diuretic, meaning it flushes fluids out of your system, not what you want happening when the temperature is hovering around 100. Same thing with that tall cold beer-also a diuretic. Enjoy it tonight. Enjoy two or three of them tonight; but the beach on a blazing hot day is not the best time for a beer.
Sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen. There is no shade on the beach, unless you bring it with you, which is a good idea. Putting aside medical concerns about the longterm effects of overexposure to the sun, sunburn is painful and uncomfortable and too much sun at one time can cause a condition called sun poisoning.
One more piece of advice: wear sandals on the hot parts of the beach. On a hot day like today, the sand does get hot enough to burn the soles of your feet.
It looks like daytime temperatures are going to moderate for a while, but it's a sure thing that they'll be climbing again. This is the Outer Banks of North Carolina, after all.
