The Emerald Coast soon will undergo its annual climate change.
In a few weeks as the weather begins to warm for good, businesses and beaches will be flooded with new visitors as snowbirds depart and spring breakers arrive.
“There will soon be a very noticeable dynamic change,” said Jon Ervin director of marketing and communications with the Beaches of South Walton Tourist Development Council.
“Spring break is busier, and the businesses, of course, have a lot more traffic. We look forward to both.”
Snowbird time
Every fall snowbirds begin fleeing from as far away as Canada to nest in condominiums and homes along local beaches. They take refuge from winter weather until late February or March before heading home.
This year was no exception. December counts indicate a slight increase in people participating in snowbird clubs and events.
“Everyone’s been very happy this year,” said Kate Wilkes, Santa Rosa County’s Tourist Development Council director. “We won’t know final numbers until April, but our December numbers were up by 12.6 percent.”
Wilkes said the increase likely reflects the rest of the snowbird season. She credits additional advertising and events funded by BP grants. She said this year and next year the TDC has applied for $491,000 in grants.
“We’ve been able to market areas we’ve never advertised in before,” she said.
Destin’s snowbird club has seen a 3 percent decrease in membership this year. The Fort Walton Beach club has a 9 percent increase and Walton County’s snowbirds have about a dozen more members than last year.
Heading back north
Bill Neidel has spent the winter on the Emerald Coast for several years. He says the weather and beaches of South Walton are what bring him back.
The hike in condominium rates and spring breakers are what send him home.
“Generally, March 15 is the end date for our season, but a lot of snowbirds will be leaving March 1,” Neidel said. “The condo we’re renting is $1,500 for the month until mid-March. That’s when it becomes $1,500 a week.”
Destin snowbird Paul Hewitt arrived in late October. He will pack up and head home by the end of March.
“By April you’re ready to go home,” Hewitt said. “ … I’m sure a few stay, but most clear out. It gets a lot more active with the spring crowd, a little noisier.”
Although some winter vacationers stay several months, many say a short visit is all they need.
John and Cheryl Prince arrived in Okaloosa County last Tuesday morning and planned to stay for a week.
“We wanted to get here before the spring break crowds,” John said. “We were both teachers, so we knew the time that we didn’t want to come.
“Now that we’re retired, we can come out here before everyone else.”
Snowbirds play golf and cards, and attend exercise classes and craft lessons.
“It’s gone so fast,” said Tom Schwichtenberg, who stays in South Walton. “People down here are great. But we’ve already seen the robins and bluebirds heading north, so the snowbirds will follow them soon after.”
Prepping for spring break
Law enforcement and businesses in Okaloosa and Walton counties saw record numbers of spring break visitors last year, from partying college students to families.
They’re gearing up for similar numbers this time around.
Joe Guidry, general manager of Ramada Plaza Beach Resort and Destin West RV Resort on Okaloosa Island, said bookings for spring breakers typically come a week to two weeks prior to arrival. For now, he said his staff is waiting to see if the expected crowds arrive.
“The bookings look great. We’re getting the property all spruced up and ready to go,” Guidry said. “We’re hoping we’ll still have that popularity.”
Michele Nicholson with the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office said deputies will serve off-duty details at hotels and condominiums and patrol streets for people driving under the influence.
The Walton County Sheriff’s Office, which was inundated with college students last year, said it will set up its mobile site so deputies can take dispatch calls and process information from the beach.
“There’s going to be more of a party atmosphere, more carefree, and we’re expecting a lot of underage drinking like every year,” sheriff’s spokeswoman Wendy Ammons said.
“You see that in the calls you get. A lot of loud noise complaints, music, stuff like that. We want people to enjoy they’re trip to the beach, but we want them to be safe.”
Officials expect the largest crowds in mid-March, based on the spring break schedules of colleges and school districts. Beach patrols will begin the first week of March and will continue for four weeks.
Miguel Coronado, manager of the Crab Trap at The Boardwalk on Okaloosa Island, said his staff of 25 during snowbird season triples to 75 to handle the spring break crowds.
“It goes from 5 mph to 60,” Coronado said. “But we look forward to the snowbirds and the spring breakers every year.”
Contact Daily News Staff Writer Angel McCurdy at 850-315-4432 or amccurdy@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @AngelMnwfdn.