24-03-2025
Beachgoers sound off on Horry County's wind-driven shading device ban
HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — After last week's Horry County Council vote to not allow wind-driven shading devices a trial run on the county's unincorporated beaches, a family visiting Myrtle Beach agrees with the decision.
Traveling to the coast with her four kids and husband, Janiece Hope said if lifeguard companies and first responders believe them to be dangerous, then there shouldn't be any debate on letting them on the county's beaches. She said it would be 'horrible' if an emergency broke out and a lifeguard wasn't able to rescue someone in time because people wanted a wind-driven shading device.
Hope also said although the ends of umbrellas can be dangerous, she said popular wind-driven shading devices — like the Shibumi Shade — could be just as dangerous in different ways.
'Let's be honest, if they're loud and you have a windy day, user error is going to mean that there's going to be situations where they start flying down the beach. I don't want to have to listen to that when I come to the beach and I don't want to have to be hit by some stupid thing flying at me because somebody else was being irresponsible and dropped off,' she said. 'I don't use umbrellas or anything like that in the first place. If you're coming to the beach, it's kind of because it's sunny. It's normal to get sun on you. I think that's sort of a selfish thing anyway.'
Hope said those wanting to fight to have wind-driven shading devices should listen to authorities when it comes to the devices putting other's lives in danger. She said if those in charge of monitoring the beaches for public safety say the devices aren't safe, then the possibility of still using them — even for a trial period — shouldn't be an option.
'I think people take their ideas of personal liberties way too far,' she said. 'They don't have a right to put other people at risk, period. That's just not an American freedom.'
Hope's son, Evan, said he agreed that the public should be listening to the authorities who said wind-driven shading devices have a hindrance on their line of sight and could be too loud to not hear a cry for help in the water. Although, he said restriction modifications could be a solution for Horry County.
'If it's going to be a problem for lifeguards to see over, and it's a little louder, put them behind up for lifeguards,' he said.
Evan said a possible option for Shibumi is also making the product clear for lifeguards to see through them easily. He said if wind-driven shading devices remain an issue for the county, an alternative to umbrellas could be a new invention with similar materials to Shibumi. He said an invention similar to a tent, that's lightweight still without poles and similar shading components.
Shibumi co-founder Dave Barnes said Shibumi's are safer than umbrellas and are used on most beaches across the country. He said roughly 2,000 people from Horry County have purchased a Shibumi and called it a shame they aren't able to use them on some of the beaches near their home.
Barnes said Shibumi will keep fighting for the device to be used in Horry County.
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Gabby Jonas joined the News13 team as a multimedia journalist in April 2024. She is from Columbus, Ohio, and graduated from Kent State University in May 2023. Follow Gabby on X, formerly Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, and read more of her work here.
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