You’re sitting on the beach, chilling and listening to the ocean when all of sudden the relaxing sound is drowned out by Jay-Z or Katy Perry blaring from a nearby radio.

Annoyed? Yes. And you’re not alone.

Blasting loud music was again the most annoying beach behavior nationally, according to a survey of 1,400 travelers recently released by travel website TripAdvisor. It also topped the list last year. Not picking up after dogs was the second most annoying practice this year, followed by hogging beach chairs.

When it comes to picking your spot in the sand, most in the survey, 27 percent, said you shouldn’t plop down within 3 feet of another person on a crowded beach, and another 26 percent said the appropriate distance is at least 6 feet. When the beach isn’t crowded, beach-goers expect even more room for personal space, with most saying 20 feet is the closest acceptable distance.

And if they had the chance to designate certain areas on the beach, more than half of those in the survey – 55 percent – would want a pet-free area, while 47 percent desire a child-free area. Nearly a third, 29 percent, would like to have a clothing-optional area on the beach.

Those surveyed said the annoying behaviors are happening more these days, with 83 percent saying people often violate some form of beach or pool etiquette, up from 74 percent last year. And more are doing something about it, with 31 percent saying they have asked a stranger to stop behaving rudely at the beach or pool, up from 26 percent last year.

Contact DAWN BRYANT at 626-0296 or at dbryant@thesunnews.com or follow her at Twitter.com/TSN_dawnbryant.