★★☆☆☆
Onset Avenue
Onset, MA 02558
http://www.buzzardsbay.org/wareham.htm

onset-beach-parking-lot-all-four.jpgIt was a beautiful and sunny day for the beach today so my friends, Ric, Tony, Kate, my aunt, my mom and I headed to Old Silver Beach. When we got close to the Bourne Bridge we saw that the traffic was backed up for miles so we headed to Onset Beach instead. Onset Beach is located in Onset, a section of Wareham and is before the Bourne Bridge. I’ve never been to Onset Beach before so we decided to do a wheelchair accessibility review of this beach today.

onset-beach-no-lifeguard-sign.jpgOnset Beach is right next to  Onset Town Pier so we parked in the Onset Town Pier parking lot.  Parking is FREE for persons with handicap placards which is really great for my budget. The Onset Beach is a Town Beach of Wareham and basically it is closed for there are no lifeguards on duty, the snack bar is closed as well as the restrooms. There is a public restroom on the Onset Town Pier parking lot and across the street so it is not too far to go if you need a restroom while at this beach.  Kenny’s Salt Water Taffy is located on the other side of the parking lot so food and drink are available if you forgot to pack a cooler of goodies.

onset-beach-closed-lifeguard-station.jpgWe spoke to some men at the Harbor Master Office on the Pier and asked how long the beach has been without lifeguards, a snack bar and a restroom. We were told that due to lack of Town funds from the Town of Wareham, the beach has been without lifeguards for more than a year and the snack bar was closed three years ago. We were told that a committee has formed to try to raise money for needed lifeguards and to rebuild the snack bar and restroom on the beach. It’s such a nice beach I hope it gets done one day.

onset-beach-access-ramp-to-beach.jpgWe brought my  Beach Wheelchair and headed from the parking lot to the beach. This beach doesn’t have loaner beach wheelchairs like our State Beaches and some other Town Beaches have so if you have your own you will need to bring it with you. This beach has very easy access from the parking lot. My friends said it was the easiest of all the beaches I’ve been to.

onset-beach-closed-snack-bar-beach-all.jpgThere is a nice cement ramp that leads down to the beach and the slope is not steep so easy to wheel a beach wheelchair on. If you are in a regular wheelchair you can wheel along a walkway in front of the closed snack bar and lifeguard office that will take you to the middle of the beach. The swimming area is in the middle of this beach. The water next to the Onset Town Pier is not for swimming for it is too deep and too close to the boats that dock here.

onset-beach-tony-shade.jpgWe picked a spot to sit right near the water and set up our umbrella for Tony because he doesn’t like the heat of the sun.  We then had some lunch before we went into take a swim. The beach gets crowded and many children swim at this beach so it’s really a shame they don’t have any lifeguards on duty.

onset-beach-water.jpgWe all went into the water. The water at this beach is nice and warm but a little murky and not as clear as the water is at Old Silver Beach. We could see small fish swimming which was neat but the water was a little greenish in color. There are areas marked with ropes and buoys which show the area safe to swim in.

onset-beach-kate-ric-kenny.jpgI really enjoyed my day at this beach today. We stayed for three hours of fun, sunning and swimming.

I give Onset Beach TWO STARS for wheelchair accessibility. In order to earn the other Stars the Town of Wareham would need to hire lifeguards, rebuild and reopen the snack bar and restroom and provide at least one loaner beach wheelchair available for the disabled to use. They could store it in the Harbor Master Office on the Pier.