I'm leaving cold, boring PA here in about 2 weeks to move back to Florida for the summer. I'm dying to set something up on the beach!! My question is, any good advice for shooting around the water, sunsets, sand etc? I seen there is a lot of these threads for the west coast. Not sure if location really makes a difference.

Also, where I'll be living is a tourist trap town. Which means unless you drive 30 mins away, you aren't going to find a ton of private locations. Do cops or anyone normally bother with you if you have a simple set up going? (by simple I mean a reflector, me, the model and maybe one pair of extra hands) I don't want to mess with getting permission unless I have to.

google earth and kinda get a view of beach areas, I'm on the eastcoast and find seclude spots either by google earth and or on my rides around the area I'll mark on my GPS, again I shoot early mornings and try for weekday shoots (less people tend to be out)

I have shot on the beach on the eastcoast, no issues with police. They might hold the reflector for you. If you don't bring lots of equipment they leave you alone. It's the spectators that get in the way. Go early morning. Nothing but old folks they don't bother you.

Stay off the dunes!!! They will fine you for it....

When did 30 minutes become a long drive for a shoot?
You've got 100 miles of the most beautiful beaches in the world just between you and Pensacola Beach. There's an ENDLESS amount of locations that are private enough to do whatever kind of shoot you want.

When I shoot in Pensacola I prefer sunrise. It will be a lot cooler and the sun will generally be coming up behind you if you're shooting towards the water or West down the beach. Plus you aren't racing against the sun going down.