When did "beach week" start?

[Anonymous]

I’m 57 and grew up in eastern PA. It was a big thing when I was in high school. I think proximity to the Jersey shore had a lot to do with it. Lots of families had second homes there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am 50 and grew up here, and beach week was definitely a thing when I was in high school

+1 Class of 1990 and we went to Dewey. And not only that, my Dad was class of 1957 and went to Ocean City.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I moved here from another part of the country, where there isn't any post-high school graduation tradition like beach week. Students just graduated, there was an after-party, and that was it. Most of my friends started summer jobs right away, before heading off to college. My mom is from this area, and it wasn't a thing when she was in HS. When did "beach week" become a thing?

It was a thing in Maryland in the late 1980s.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m another poster not from here and yes, completely opposed. My oldest won’t be going. We’ve told my younger one and will continue to tell her she won’t either. I’m usually one of the more relaxed parents. This is a hard no.

You sound like a lot of fun.

[Anonymous]

I'm 58 and went to beach week at the end of high school and every year at the end of college.

[Anonymous]

It was big in 1985. My son leaves tomorrow for Ocean City. He's paying and he's 18. I hope he stays safe and smart.

[Anonymous]

It was big in the 80s.

[Anonymous]

Went to an all girls private school in the late 80s. We rented a house and the boys from the boys school rented a one nearby. No parents. Everyone drank like crazy and did stupid stuff. It's amazing that no one got killed. It was super fun.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I graduated in the 90's and it was a big thing. I don't think it was new, but have no idea when it started.

It is people not from this area that seem to be so against it. Those of us who went, realize what a special and fun experience it is and want our children to carry with them some of the same amazing memories.

My daughter went last year and had the best time. Was there drinking, yes. Were they blindly drunk, NO! Were people hooking up, yes. Were they having multiple partners a day and orgies, NO! Did she or her friends spend a fantastic week together, yes. There was none of the out-of-control craziness that is sometimes described. Nobody got arrested, pregnant, or any other lifelong problem. Nobody even had cars. Parents were close by and checked in at least 1x daily.

It's really not as big a deal as parents think it is. They are 18. Far from the babies some of the parents still think they are.

I mean ... I traveled in Europe alone with a Eurorail pass and a copy of Let's Go Europe right after I graduated from high school. So yeah, they are not babies.

But if you think no one is "blindly drunk" or even that "nobody got ... pregnant" at this beach week thing, you are surely wrong.

[Anonymous]

It’s a thing in this area.
Start date seems on where live / county.
Typically the week following HS graduation.

Both of our children went with zero issues.

[Anonymous]

Graduated from a W school in 1985 - beach week was a thing.

[Anonymous]

Fairfax County-born/raised. My older siblings attended beach week in OC MD in 1982, 1983.
I did same in ‘86. Youngest went to OBX in ‘88.

My DC went to OBX in 2021.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m another poster not from here and yes, completely opposed. My oldest won’t be going. We’ve told my younger one and will continue to tell her she won’t either. I’m usually one of the more relaxed parents. This is a hard no.

You sound like a lot of fun.

I mean, seriously, are you going to order them to stay in the dorm and study in a few months? Get a grip!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Graduated in 1994 and beach week was a thing.

Me too, and I'm not from this area. We went to Destin, FL with a group of boys and girls. We rented crappy condos and used our fake IDs everywhere.

[Anonymous]

I grew up near Philly. I went in the 90: and my parents went in the late 60s—it was called Senior Week but it meant going to Sea Isle or Wildwood and partying.

In college classmates from the Raleigh/Durham area and suburban NJ who participated in beach week as HS seniors in addition to folks from the DC area. The West coast kids most definitely did not.