Going to beaches for recreation is permissible for any Muslim. Practicing Muslims are not to be denied this right. Practicing Muslims, like anyone else, are free to enjoy the fresh air of the sea.
Almighty Allah permits Muslims to enjoy the lawful things He gave to them. Among these lawful things is sightseeing and enjoying the beauty of the universe. Almighty Allah says: (Say: Who hath forbidden the adornment of Allah which He hath brought forth for His bondmen, and the good things of His providing?) (Al-A`raf 5:32). But this should be within the prescribed limits, not to fall into that which is haram.
Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states: In Islam, we are warned against sins of nudity, promiscuity, and permissiveness that corrupt the soul as well as the mind. They all lead to temptations, which lead to sins, and sins eventually lead to Hellfire and eternal perdition. It is therefore imperative that, while enjoying summer at the beach, we specifically avoid areas associated with the above and find locations or times where we will be staying clear of the above completely.
While enjoying summer at the beach as a group, we are not allowed to practice indiscriminate mingling of sexes, nor are we allowed to expose our `awrah to others. Remember `awrah includes all parts of the body that we must keep covered from others (except our lawful spouses).
Finally, while enjoying summer activities we must never forget our Prayers or other essential Islamic duties of worship. You can assign different areas of the beach for males and females for activities such as swimming, or divide the time by making schedules for them.
Use your creative mind to think of halal (lawful) alternatives, for Allah assures us that for everything He has declared as haram (unlawful) for us, there is always a halal alternative in Islam. Therefore, our challenge is to find the halal alternative.
For as long as the above mentioned factors are taken into consideration, there are no restrictions on enjoying summer at the beach.