Hundreds Head To The Shore For The Holiday Weekend
BELMAR, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- It's a weekend of fun in the sand and the sun as hundreds head to the shore this holiday weekend.
Friday was picture perfect beach weather with water temperatures around 70 degrees and air temperatures in the upper 70s.
"It is great to see all the people out," Avon by the Sea resident Phil Michele told CBS2's Christine Sloan. "We are having a lot of fun and we have fireworks tonight at Bradley Beach."
"It is pretty warm," said Pennsylvania resident Matt Bartie. "Last time I came here, it was 50 degrees and freezing."
Beachgoers were also playing ball on the sand with a new game called Spikeball.
"So it is kind of fun," said Belmar resident Joe Lacerda. "It is awesome."
The crowds were so big along the Jersey Shore, no more cars were being allowed into Sandy Hook Beach inside Gateway National Park, Sloan reported.
Despite being packed, there was still plenty of room on the beach in Belmar.
Belmar has come back strong since Superstorm Sandy. Howard Edeman, 78, lives in Hawaii, but spends his summers here.
"You get a little island fever after eight months there so there is a sense of community here," he said.
But before you head to the shore, authorities want to make sure you and your family are safe on the water.
In New Jersey, poison control officials are telling beach goers to watch out for jellyfish-like creatures called Portuguese man o' war. They've been spotted down the shore, including in Harvey Cedars on Long Beach Island.
Beach Goers Hitting The Water
Man o' war often travel in large numbers and tend to wrap their tentacles around their victims. Experts say the painful sting itself is rarely fatal, but people have drowned because the sting can make swimming back to shore difficult.
Lifeguards said if you come across one, don't touch it. It can still sting you even if it appears to be dead
If you are stung, remove the tentacles from your skin, apply salt water to the affected area and follow up with hot water for 15 to 20 minutes — it's been shown to ease the pain better than cold water.
Sharks have also been spotted in our area.
A group of fishermen came across a great white shark last month, about 45 miles south of Jones Beach.
Scientists are tracking another shark named Mary Lee that was spotted in May north of Seaside Heights.
"You certainly think twice about going in the water, but you just have to be cautious," said Adam Scwartz of Marlboro.
But other beach goers say they're not scared to take the plunge.
"Getting bit by a shark would be cool cause like, who gets bit by a shark?" one girl told 1010 WINS' Rebecca Granet. "You could just say, 'I had the experience of getting bit by a shark.'"
Authorities also want people to be cautious when it comes to drinking this weekend. They'll be keeping an eye out for drunk drivers not only on the roads, but on the water.
