Yes, I know what you mean. I also like the beach. But it is going into the water up to the neck or further that freaks me out.

When we went to Langkawi, Malaysia a few years ago, the water was so beautiful and warm. You could go out into it up to your neck and bob up and down in the waves. I loved doing this but the whole time I had to push, push, push my fear away. Sometimes it just kinda overwhelmed me and I wanted to get out. And it drives me nuts thinking that I should fear this when little kids were happily swimming out as well as other adults without a care in the world.

Anyway, I was walking out of the surf, my fear mounting, when suddenly I felt a searing pain in my foot. For all the world I thought for sure that a sea creature had come up to my foot and chomped into it. I stumbled onto the sand and blood was pouring out of the top of my foot which had a deep puncture. It was NOT the bottom of my foot and I insisted something had bit me (and I was crying a little bit hysterically ) whilst my husband was trying to calm me down and assure me that nothing had bit me and that I must have stepped on a sharp shell. And I was saying (between sobs) how could I step on it with the top of my foot! And he said maybe as I was bobbing around and my feet were not flat on the ocean floor the top part made contact first.

He was probably right that nothing truly bit me. But I feel very sure that my fear simulated a bite for me.