Beaches to be free in Seaside Heights after Labor Day

Seaside Heights will help extend the summer with free access to its beaches and lifeguard coverage through the end of September.

The mayor and the borough's council  have decided that after the Labor Day Monday holiday access will be free to the beach. Lifeguards will also be on duty daily through Sunday, Sept. 13 and then weekends through Sunday, SEpt. 27.

Administrator Christoper Vaz said July and August "were really kind to us" in terms of very little rain, resulting in revenue from beach tag sales that the borough can absorb the cost of paying lifeguards. All the beach ramps will be open but the actual beach areas that will be open depends on conditions.

"It's a tough time of the year to maintain staff," said Vaz. "If the weather is calm, we'll spread the lifeguards out. If the ocean is rough, we'll tighten up the beach so the lifeguards can help each other out."

The summer was not record breaking but "better than last summer" said Vaz. "People still want to the beach in Seaside Heights."

Meteorologist Dan Zarrow thinks Seaside Heights must "really be banking on sunny warm days. Anything else may not be ideal beach weather." He notes that on average the water temperature will dip to 65 degrees by the end of September from its current 75 and the average high with be 72.

No matter the weather, Seaside Heights has scheduled  a number of weekend events including Wine on the Beach Sept. 12 and 13, a Harley Davidson motorcycle bike weekend Sept. 17 through 20, and three events the weekend of Sept. 27: the Que by the Sea BBQ Competition & Festival, the Everyday Heroes Concert  on Sept. 26 and the Seaside Heights Triathalon on the 27th.