DEAR Jasminda,

There has been a lot of angst about people setting up their cabanas on beaches lately.

A good friend of mine thinks they ruin the beach, but we got one for Christmas which makes going to the beach with her a bit uncomfortable.

How do I handle this?

Karen Q.

Ah, summer on the beach.

The deafening trill of cicadas, sand in every orifice of the car, (and body) children screaming out from beyond the flags on flimsy inflatable rings, the marcasite glint coming off the ocean.

It is such an evocative time, and one that can make us nostalgic for the good old days when there was an unencumbered view of the ocean and we cooked ourselves like well-done steaks, encouraging the baking process by smearing baby oil over every body part not covered by an itsy-bitsy teeny-weeny yellow polka dot bikini (and that was just the men).

Thankfully we have evolved in many ways and people are now far more sun safe than they were. Unfortunately, those of us who were sun worshippers in the 80s and 90s, are now getting basal cell carcinomas chopped out of our bodies and there is nothing sexy about that.

Cabanas and umbrellas are one way to mitigate the impact of the sun and some families don’t have the luxury of living a short drive from the beach, so they have to come prepared for the day.

After being told my my dermatologist to only sunbake at night, I avoid the heat of the day and usually only go to the beach when most of the crowds have left, but if I was there at midday with delicate-skinned children in tow, I’d be putting up everything I could to offer a bit more protection from the sun (of course a cabana isn’t enough – hats, rashies and SPF50+ sunscreen are mandatory too in our harsh climate). If the view upsets your friend, get her to move down to the shoreline where she will have a clear view of the ocean, or suggest to her that she swim first thing in the morning or last thing in the afternoon.

Then all she will have to worry about is an unpatrolled beach, rips and sharks.

Carpe diem,
Jasminda.