When did "beach week" start?

[Anonymous]

Grew up south-eastern-ish area of PA and I had friends that went to senior week in the 90s. I remember my sister (who didn’t go) had friend who got into a bad situation that led to worse situations, back in the early 80s. I had no interest, many of us didn’t. Seemed like the unpopular or those who peaked in highschool wanted to go to prove something. I heard the stories and it was pretty bad. Of course, they never told their parents about the bad stuff.
So glad I didn’t go, and my teens did not have any interest either.

[Anonymous]

I went in 97 and I wasn't a drinker. There were four of us in the hotel room and two of my friends never drank, but two of us did drink some that week, although not much. It was just something everyone did after graduation and some of my friends had very religious parents who raised no objections. I do think going to stay in hotels in a beach town is different than renting big houses at the Outer Banks where drinking in the house is the main focus. If everybody is in town but staying in hotel rooms, you can have whatever kind of beach week you want.

[Anonymous]

Graduated in 1997 and we did beach week over Spring break. I’m from upstate NY.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Graduated in 1997 and we did beach week over Spring break. I’m from upstate NY.

From Ohio and beach week wasn’t a thing, but going to Florida for Spring Break was in the 90s and today. Personally, I’d prefer beach week after graduation because the school year is over. Spring Break was always in March, so more kids were under 18, spring sports were going on and still had academic responsibilities.

[Anonymous]

graduated from a dc private in the 90s and we did beach week after both junior and senior year

we decided to go to MYR instead of Delaware etc tho. We had fun.

[Anonymous]

I didn't have a beach week in high school because I lived in a beach town. So no need!

But it was a big thing for graduating college in a rural area, we went to Dewey Beach.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Grew up south-eastern-ish area of PA and I had friends that went to senior week in the 90s. I remember my sister (who didn’t go) had friend who got into a bad situation that led to worse situations, back in the early 80s. I had no interest, many of us didn’t. Seemed like the unpopular or those who peaked in highschool wanted to go to prove something. I heard the stories and it was pretty bad. Of course, they never told their parents about the bad stuff.
So glad I didn’t go, and my teens did not have any interest either.

Yeah sure…it was the unpopular kids that were going.

[Anonymous]

I grew up and Western PA and it was not a thing around us growing up. I spent the summer after graduating HS going to grad parties and working.

Going to college and meeting kids that grow up in places much closer to the beach, they absolutely did Senior Week aka Beach Week.

I went after my senior year of college - where I went to school, everyone went to Avalon for the week. I know, big difference being 18 and 21.

DS graduated HS last year and he went with 5 of his friends. He came back in one piece so we were ok with that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I didn't have a beach week in high school because I lived in a beach town. So no need!

But it was a big thing for graduating college in a rural area, we went to Dewey Beach.

I'm a little curious what the sweet spot distance to the beach for this to develop as a tradition is. I grew up just about an hour from a NC beach and it was a thing, even though we could all go to the beach whenever under normal circumstances.

[Anonymous]

Graduated in 96 and we did beach week down in OC. I stayed with my girlfriends in a condo. We weren’t big drinkers but had so much fun with all our high school friends that week. I just remember taking the OC bus all over the place, being on the beach all night until sunrise, running all over OC and beach parties. It was good clean fun but I know today they’ll all be drinking and if my DD wants to go, I plan to be one of the parents heading down to keep an eye on them. I think most kids get a house now in Bethany or Rehoboth and not so much OC. What I’m most opposed to is some sort of Caribbean trip-that worries me more so than good ol beach week at the DE or MD shore.

[Anonymous]

It was a thing in Maryland before 2000

[Anonymous]

1985 Sidwell grad here and beach week was in full swing by the time I was a senior

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

OP again - the bolded portion is my experience.

This has been an interesting thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Graduated in 96 and we did beach week down in OC. I stayed with my girlfriends in a condo. We weren’t big drinkers but had so much fun with all our high school friends that week. I just remember taking the OC bus all over the place, being on the beach all night until sunrise, running all over OC and beach parties. It was good clean fun but I know today they’ll all be drinking and if my DD wants to go, I plan to be one of the parents heading down to keep an eye on them. I think most kids get a house now in Bethany or Rehoboth and not so much OC. What I’m most opposed to is some sort of Caribbean trip-that worries me more so than good ol beach week at the DE or MD shore.

I would never in a million years allow my child to go party in the Caribbean for a beach week celebration. That is an emphatic f*** no.

[Anonymous]

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