Personal beach chairs in the water

Question

I know this is a topic that gets alot of discussion. We are staying at Edgewater resort for the first time in a unit that does not provide beach chair service. Their policy actually states all personal beach chairs must be placed behind beach service chairs. I have no issue with this however, I would like to sit in my beach chair at the waters edge to watch my young children while they are in the water. Will this be an issue? Trip advisor has several reviews that mention people where told they could not sit in a chair at the waters edge and were made to move. Can anyone speak to this? I know where the sand is wet is usually considered public and Edgewaters beach is private. If this is the case, it may be a deal breaker for us. Any insight is welcome!

Answer

Great question — this is a pretty common concern, and there’s a good amount of nuance here. Based on Edgewater’s own policies, plus what other guests have reported, here’s a breakdown of what you *can* expect, what other people have experienced, and some considerations.

What Edgewater Beach Resort’s Official Policy Says

The Edgewater Beach Condominium rules explicitly require that personal chairs must be placed behind resort beach-service chairs.
The Edgewater Resort beach service page confirms you’ll get a “complimentary beach setup” (two lounge chairs + umbrella) for certain stays, but the setup of those umbrellas is handled *only* by the authorized beach-service staff.
The condo policy also says no personal umbrellas or tents are allowed.
The resort rules also state that beach chairs may *not* be reserved by putting towels or personal items on them — you must actually be present.

What Guests & Other Beachgoers Have Reported

On TripAdvisor, there are multiple reports from guests who say they were told to move their personal chairs if they tried to sit them closer to the water than the resort’s rented chairs.
Some people argue (correctly) that under Florida law, the wet sand / area below the high-tide line is public, so technically that space is public land.
Others suggest the restriction is driven by liability or insurance concerns of the beach-service company: placing unauthorized items in front of their rented chairs could present a risk in high winds or with umbrellas, etc.
There are Reddit threads that echo this — some locals / renters say they’ve been actively told by security or beach vendors to keep personal chairs *behind* the rented rows, even though the public sand extends further toward the water.

Important Legal & Practical Factors

Even though the mean high tide line is typically public land, private or condo-owned beachfronts may restrict how close to their setup lines guests can place personal equipment. (This is more about their beach-service agreement / contract than general beach law.)
The Edgewater HOA / resort enforces its own rules — so even if you *legally* might be able to set your chair on the wet sand, resort staff or beach attendants may still ask you to comply with their policy. Several guests report they were asked to move by staff.
If the beach-service company or resort is concerned about liability (e.g. drifting chairs or umbrellas), they may be especially strict about enforcing the “behind” rule.

What This Means for You & Your Family

Yes, according to the Edgewater rules, you *can’t* freely set up personal chairs right at the water’s edge if that means being *in front of* the resort’s rented chairs.
However, because of how beach property lines work (public vs. private), some guests *do* try to set up in the wet-sand area, but success varies and may depend on staff or beach-service attendants.
If your top priority is being able to sit in a chair very close to the water so you can watch small children, this could be a *deal-breaker risk*: some nights or days you may be able to do it, but on others, you might be asked to move.

What You Can Do to Try and Make It Work

Call or email Edgewater before your trip: Explain that you’ll have young children and ask if they will allow a personal chair *nearer to the water* on a case-by-case basis. Sometimes management or beach staff can make exceptions.
When you arrive, talk to the beach-service attendants: politely ask where they recommend placing your personal chair, and mention you’d like to sit close to the water to watch your kids.
Be prepared with a lightweight, low-profile beach chair: something that’s less obtrusive might be more acceptable to beach staff.
If it’s very important to you, consider renting an extra beach setup (additional chair/umbrella) via the beach-service provider so you have more flexibility and less risk of being asked to move. (Not ideal, but more reliable.)

Bottom Line: According to the Edgewater resort’s rules, they *do not allow personal beach chairs to be placed in front of their rented chairs*. Some guests have reported being moved when trying to put a chair right on the water’s edge, even though legally parts of that area may be public. So yes — there *is a realistic risk* you might be asked to move. If being right at the water’s edge is very important for you, I’d strongly recommend confirming with management ahead of time and being ready to negotiate when you’re there.

Personal beach chairs in the water

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