Southern Shores by Avantstay Seacrest Beach Resort Pool

We’ve been visiting this area for 17 years, from the inlet to RB to Seacrest, and I’ve never seen the beach this packed. The public stretch is so small that people have to step around each other, while the beach by the houses at either end sits empty. Paying house prices for access to so little beach seems absurd.

The water looks beautiful, and the sand is soft. The beach is clean, too, though the chair rental company takes up most of the room and it can get crowded. We did manage to find a spot to set up and let the kids play.

The chair company has chairs right up by the water, leaving hardly anywhere to sit or walk, and it blocks the space where kids could play. Security guards also stop you at the gate if you try to bring anything down. Those 2019 rules may make this our last visit. Welcome to the new corporate 30A, I guess.

A poorly laid-out beach with only a 100 foot access section for the whole development. Private access surrounds it, with “security” guards keeping everyone penned into the public area. Shuttles keep unloading more people until you’re practically sitting on top of one another. Terrible access.