The guy in the foreground seems to be saying to himself, "Uncle Gomez told me there'd be sharks! Two hours freezing my butt and chasing my whig in the wind and no sharks! Now I gotta buy a new whig! Rats!"

[The next morning, Millard Fillmore washed up a mile away. - Dave]

I love how I can look at a moment in time captured more than 100 years ago and almost instantly imagine what that particular day felt like -- the wind, slightly overcast skys, salty air, and the sound of the surf. It's kind of comforting to get a sense of the permanence of things.

For when "Help! I'm drowning!" just isn't enough?

Seems many (most?) of our subject here are donning them but I'd never really noticed them before.

[Those are locker keys. - Dave]

Really, I think they're an improvement over today's more revealing styles, considering that generally the skimpier the suit the more likely the person who is wearing it should not be. No such eyesores with these streamlined wool models!

The sea was very angry that day, my friends!

Anyone have a guess as to why there is a windmill on the pier?

The folks "holding desperately to the rope" appear all to be women. Long wool swimming costumes when wet were heavy. As you can see from the woman walking to the left of those on the rope, you can see the amount of drag she's contending with. Even a good swimmer would have a few problems staying afloat without the somewhat heavy surf.

I suspect, though, that they may be enjoying a sort of body-surfing, or as close as those heavy costumes might allow.

This picture was taken during the short winter tourist season (January to mid-March) at the Breakers Hotel Beach.

Everyone in this photo would have been fabulously wealthy.

The Breakers stood at the other end of the trolley line (posted yesterday.)

http://royalpoincianahotel.blogspot.com/

I am assuming that the people holding desperately to the rope are not the swimming type. I don't know that I would stick myself in the ocean if I couldn't swim.

Who's that short, stocky, slow-witted bald man in the foreground? No doubt looking for his blanket and clothes.

I didn't know they did Elvis wigs back then.

I think Dave wanted to forget snow as quickly as possible.