What is the best time to go to the beach?

I was torn with this one. I love the beach to lay out and walk along the strand in the early afternoon... but when I lived in Lauderdale and I wanted to swim, I always went around midnight so the beach patrol would leave me alone about how far out I like to go.

I like the night time for bonfires, and early morning is good for getting some time alone on the beach. A case could easily be made for each of these times, but it's so much better with the high tide coming in, both for swimming and surfing.