The Most Common (And Disgusting) Way Americans Break Unspoken Beach Etiquette

It's all fun in the sun until someone breaks an unspoken rule. That's when the side-eye glances and whispered rebukes begin. The situation rarely leads to a direct confrontation. The most telling sign that you've unintentionally crossed the invisible line may be when someone sitting nearby quietly gathers their things and moves 10, maybe 20, feet away before settling in again. We're talking about beach etiquette. Widely understood among frequent beachgoers, the rules can leave unsuspecting novices at a loss. And even though the majority of American beach lovers surveyed acknowledge having committed at least one unspoken faux pas on the list, almost everyone rates themselves as a pinnacle of proper beach etiquette.

In March 2025, Beach.com conducted a survey of 1,004 American beachgoers to determine what they consider the most troublesome beach behavior. The survey also asked respondents to fess up to which of the questionable practices they have committed. In an interesting twist, 93% of people surveyed gave themselves a top-notch rating for observing proper beach etiquette while 92% of the same survey group acknowledged breaking at least one rule on a regular basis. So what's the most annoying beach behavior? Identified by nearly 82% of people surveyed, littering took the No. 1 spot, followed by not picking up after pets (about 61.32%), and sitting too close (52.74%). 

Surprised? We were, too. We thought the practice of skipping a trip to the bath house in favor of peeing in the water would be at the top of the list, but it barely made into the Top 10, coming in No. 9 with 18.94% of the vote. Turns out it's not such a bad thing after all. In fact, over 70% of survey respondents admitted to doing it themselves, making it the most common bad behavior people are willing to admit (anonymously).

There's no question the ick factor associated with peeing in beach water is real, especially if you're standing next to someone and the surrounding water is suddenly feeling a bit warm, but the health risk is minimal to non-existent. (That said, it's dumb camping etiquette to pee within 200 feet of a body of water.) According to a PBS report, it's perfectly okay to pee in the ocean. (An aside: Despite anecdotes to the contrary, never pee on a jellyfish sting.) 

Urine is almost all water — about 95% for the average human — with trace amounts of sodium, chloride, and potassium. What about ocean water? It's about 96.5% water with a smidgeon more sodium and chloride, and a trace amount of sodium. But human urine contains urea, a byproduct of the digestive process. That must be bad, right? Turns out, not so much. The amount of urea released from human urine is such a tiny fraction compared to the volume of the world's oceans, it's insignificant. We're not saying you should go for it, but if you're in dire straits, it's not a big deal — just don't stand too close to fellow beach patrons.

So, what other behaviors made the Beach survey? Coming in at No. 4 with 53.54% of people surveyed cited loud music, followed by people shaking sand near you (43.27%), children invading your space (41.08%), smoking or vaping (38.8%), pets invading your space (30.41%), and rounding out the list at No. 10, taking saved spots (17.75%). That last one is a bit of a conundrum. Taking a saved spot made it into the Top 10 most annoying beach behaviors, but some beachgoers consider saving a spot a rude behavior. Plus, it's a costly mistake too many travelers make on Spain's beaches.