| Sizes Because you construct a beachlabyrinth with dikes, the distance between two paths is relatively large, compared to a rope labyrinth on a lawn, or even a labyrinth with low hedges.
You can't make the dikes too steep, because they will collapse immediately when water comes near. You will need 6 feet distance from crown to crown.
That's why a Classical 7-path labyrinth is almost impossible to realise: the total length of the dikes would amount to a threefold of the length for a 3-path labyrinth. The labyrinth of May 22nd 2004, see the photograph, was 65 feet in diameter and had a total dike length of more than 500 feet. It took 30 adults and 30 kids one hour to dig.
Mark that this type of labyrinth has an extra exit at the centre. It eases the entering of the sea, and helps to make the three paths fill gradually. |  | 
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| | The tide The tide is accurately charted and predicted in Holland at the website of Rijkswaterstaat www.getij.nl.
One can look up tidal curves to see the pattern of the tide and the expected moments of high and low tide.
But you need to go and see at your specific location how the slope of the beach is, whether there is a relatively flat area, and at what time it is flooded.
And even then, the tide is never completely predictable: wind can change the level with 1 or 2 feet, which can make all the difference in the flooding process.
To put it briefly, the event is not entirely controllable.
| | | | Preparations It is practical to go and see for yourself in advance, and to choose the probable spot. But after a storm everything may have changed.
On digging day it is wise to mark out the pattern on the beach in time, before the party arrives.
I tie a rake to a chain, which is fastened in the centre, to mark taut circles. Next I put a bit of sand on these lines, using sand from the middle of the intended path. In that way it is clear to everyone what will be dike and what will be path. Keep security in mind: bare feet near sharp-edged shovels is dangerous. Let everyone wear shoes or boots while the digging is going on. | | 
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