Hilton Head is hiring its first ‘beach ambassadors’ for summer. What they’ll be doing
Hilton Head Island is hiring beach bums!
Well... actually, beach parking lot bums.
The Town of Hilton Head Island will hire six “beach ambassadors” to work summer weekends in the island’s beach parks, directing visitors and residents to appropriate parking spots and sharing information about the island.
The program is the first step toward a paid parking plan that island leadership hopes to implement next summer, which will likely convert the island’s largest free parking lot at Coligny Beach to a pay-to-park lot.
The details of the island’s program are still in the works, although the Town Council is working off a paid parking report prepared by the group Walker Consultants.
Beach ambassadors will work from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays for $15 per hour, according to the town’s job postings.
Town Manager Marc Orlando said he imagines the ambassadors distributing water, hand sanitizer, information about the island’s beaches and businesses and sharing tips for protecting wildlife like sea turtles and manatees.
Beach ambassadors must be at least 16 years old, but the job doesn’t require any formal work experience, the job posting says.
The program is run through the University of South Carolina - Beaufort’s Island Ambassador program.
Beach behavior
The program’s launch comes on the heels of bad behavior on the island’s beaches that has threatened wildlife and affected the quality of experiences for people.
In recent weeks, resorts have left wedding decorations up for several nights, and sea turtle advocates have reported disturbances around nests.
“We need some help from our observers on the beach. You can all help Sea Turtle Patrol by doing NOTHING when you see tracks on the beach or a nest site on the beach,” Sea Turtle Patrol Hilton Head Island wrote on May 15.
In summer 2020 after beaches reopened during the coronavirus pandemic, residents and visitors packed the island.
The town towed cars parked illegally in fire lanes and on private property.
Discontent with the island’s parking situation reached a fever pitch as the town closed parking spots on Burkes Beach Road.
Those spots are still roped off to avoid collisions on the highly trafficked beach access point.
