Aussies defend popular cabana trend despite 'nightmare' beach scene
The discussion about CoolCabanas continues to rage on as more footage reveals their popularity.
A sea of multi-coloured CoolCabanas with the occasional sliver of empty sand is now an expected sight at many beaches across the country as Aussies continue to embrace the popular trend.
One video taken at the Noosa Heads Main Beach in Queensland on Thursday has once again fanned the flames of the fiery discussion surrounding the open tent-like structures, with footage showing hundreds of the trendy cabanas lining the shore of the tourist hotspot.
"Meet me at the CoolCabana," the woman who recorded the footage posted on her TikTok, seemingly poking fun at the sheer volume of the structures — which began popping up last summer — and their similarity in appearance.
Beachgoers defend CoolCabana trend
Despite the firm belief by many that the cabanas are "taking over" and ruining the scenery for others, numerous other Aussies flocked to the comments to defend the sun-safe fad. "As a local who grew up here getting burnt to a crisp — I fully condone having a form of shade," one viewer said.
"Best thing we ever bought, kids come back from the beach a little rosy but not burnt," another person wrote, prompting the woman who captured the footage to agree and admit she "added to the great sea of CoolCabanas".
"For a nation with the highest rate of skin cancer on the planet, these are absolutely a necessity," someone else said.
Cabanas with a higher Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) allow less UV radiation (both UVB and UVA) to reach your skin. For example, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation, UPF 50 fabric blocks 98 per cent of the sun's rays — therefore reducing your "exposure risk" significantly. CoolCabanas provide UPF 50+ protection. Yahoo News Australia has reached out to CoolCabanas for comment.
Some question if cabanas hinder lifesavers
An ongoing concern for cabana naysayers is their impact on lifesavers' visibility. "The lifesavers said they block their view sometimes," one person claimed online. "They should be banned in the flagged area. What a nightmare. I won't go to Noosa in the holiday season and I used to live there," another agreed.
Despite fears, lifeguards from several LGAs have previously alleviated any safety concerns when it comes to monitoring the waves. "Surf lifesavers operate as a team, and are trained to move around the beach to provide the most suitable surveillance on any given day," Adam Weir, CEO of Surf Life Saving Australia, told Yahoo News Australia.
"As such, if surveillance is impeded from a specific location on the beach they would move."
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