NEWTON, Mass., June 28, 2011

• Americans were called out as the world's worst beach and pool etiquette offenders, with New Yorkers named the country's most poorly behaved, followed by beachgoers from New Jersey and Florida.
• Miami Beach, Florida, was identified by respondents as the U.S. beach with the worst behaved beachgoers.
• Young adults are deemed the most egregious waterside etiquette offenders (39 percent), followed by teenagers (34 percent) – while middle-aged adults (12 percent) outweigh young children (10 percent).

1. Blasting loud music - 27 percent
2. Public intoxication - 12 percent
3. Littering - 12 percent

1. Blasting loud music - 21 percent
2. Beach chair hogging - 18 percent
3. Smoking - 13 percent

• 85 percent consider it unacceptable to reserve chairs by getting up early and leaving one's possessions on them – while 11 percent confess to doing so.
• While 34 percent deem it an etiquette breach for swimmers to skip the shower prior to taking a dip in the pool, 38 percent confess that they do so rarely, while 14 percent never do.
• About a third of travelers think alcohol and the water don't mix. Thirty-three percent consider it inappropriate for travelers to enter the pool when under the influence of alcohol, 30 percent think the hot tub should be off limits, and 29 say the ocean should be out of bounds when drinking alcohol.

• The top "restricted access" zones that travelers would like to see on beaches:
• Pet-free areas - 72 percent
• Child-free areas - 60 percent
• Alcohol-free areas - 34 percent

• The top "restricted access" zones that travelers would like to see at pools:
• Child-free areas - 72 percent
• Pet-free areas - 66 percent
• Mobile-free areas - 32 percent

• 31 percent feel that their "personal space" on the sand is always or often invaded by fellow beach-goers.
• At a crowded beach, 28 percent consider six feet to be the closest acceptable distance to sit next to another stranger, while a further 28 percent are comfortable with three feet, and 17 percent set a boundary of four feet.
• At an un-crowded beach, 30 percent consider 20 feet to be the closest acceptable distance to sit next to another stranger, while 26 percent say seven to ten feet will suffice, and 17 percent say 11 to 14 feet.

• 79 percent consider it unacceptable for a stranger to request assistance with applying suntan lotion, while 13 percent have been called upon to do so.  
• However, speaking up about someone getting a sunburn is not off limits: 57 percent consider it responsible to alert the lobster-in-waiting of their colorful fate.

• 34 percent consider it an etiquette violation for men to wear speedos.
• 25 percent think that skimpy bikinis are a no-no for women.
• 78 percent think it's okay for women to go topless at the beach or pool, in destinations where it's culturally acceptable – while a further six percent think it's acceptable, regardless of the destination.

Amelie Hurst
+1-415-829-8158
[email protected]