My absolute favorite thing to do is go to the beach, so here in L.A. where we have summer-like temperatures six months out of the year, I go a lot! Every year when I go to the beach, I tell myself, “Next year, I am going to buy _______” (fill in the blank with anything that will make a day at the beach more convenient or fun). But I never remember to before summer vacation begins and grin and bear it for another year.
Well not this year; thanks to the quarantine, I am almost completely ready for beach season. If you are planning any beach days this summer, don’t go without the following.
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Beach Day Essentials
Beach Reading. I always bring reading material with me for a day at the beach. That and a journal to write my thoughts. I was, therefore, thrilled when I discovered The Beach is Calling. It is so good that you will feel like you are at the beach when reading it, even when you are not!
A beach umbrella. I found out the hard way how important it is to have a beach umbrella when I arrived one day without one. The sun was beaming down on me unrelentingly, encouraging me to buy one on the spot from a vendor selling them on the beach. I do not recommend getting your beach umbrella this way. Sure it was a lifesaver and has served me well the past few years, but now I am going to upgrade to one that has a sand anchor or umbrella base and suggest that you do so, too. Unless you don’t mind chasing yours down the beach like I have had to do a few times over the past two years.
A beach towel. I love how lightweight this one is. It hardly took up any space in my beach bag and the sand shook right off when it was time to go. This color is salt water, but it comes in a lot of other beautiful designs. If you are bringing your family, you will also need a beach blanket. And you may find this beach mat handy.
A beach bag. I have been lugging two beach bags, plus a cooler, because neither were big enough for all of my stuff, so I am excited that I found a new beach bag that comes with a cooler attached.
Sunscreen protects your skin from harmful (and aging!) UV rays and lowers your risk for skin cancer, so it should be worn every day, especially on a sunny beach day. Don’t forget to protect your lips too with sunscreen lip balm.
Nice But Not Necessary
At least one beach chair. Even though I sit or lay on my towel mostly, I enjoy reclining in my chair, too. I do not go to the beach without my beach chairs, ever.
A beach wagon. Every summer when I begin dragging two beach bags, a cooler, a beach umbrella, and a chair across the sand, I remember how I really wanted to get a beach wagon and wonder why I let another summer arrive without buying one. I’m so glad my mother bought me one for my birthday!
A waterproof case for your phone and/or a waterproof pouch. This is especially important if you are at the beach alone and want to be able to keep your phone, keys, money, and other valuables with you while you go in the water.
A bodyboard. This has been on my list for two summers primarily because of my indecision about which one to go with. Should I take surf lessons? 🤔🏄🏽♀️
Beach Towel Clips. These are handy if you want to hang your towel from your umbrella to let it air dry without it blowing away.
What would you add to this list? Please comment below.
Until next time, ☀️🤗
PIN IT!
Nice post! I miss going to the beach and just relax in the sun.. I do not live near a coast so i plan every year a vacation somewhere with a lot of beaches 😊 have not been yet to LA but it is on top of my list once we can travel again and things go back to normal ☺
Thank you, and let’s hope that is soon! 😊
Before I had beach towel clips, I never knew how much I’d need that in my life haha! All great suggestions 😊
This is good to know because I haven’t bought any yet, but thought I should after a windy summer last year! 😄
Aww that’s extremely helpful! Summer is still 3-4 months further in Australia, but I’ll definitely keep few of these in mind 🙂
Yes, get a head start! Thank you 😊
I can’t go without my sunglasses too! You get those dreaded tan lines, but I would get a headache super fast if I had to squint from the sun the whole day.
Surprisingly, I often skip sunglasses because I am always forgetting them somewhere! I keep a pair in my car, though. 😊
Thank you for sharing! I defiantly need a beach umbrella now that I have a little one!
You’re welcome! 😊
Thanks for the post..can’t wait to get back to beach days and a bit of regular living
Amen, me neither, and you’re welcome! 👍🏽
Thank you for sharing these ideas! I need to order a new sand free beach blanket once we are able to return to our Lakefront Beach.
You are welcome. 😊 A lakefront beach sounds lovely! Sounds like my native Michigan. I hope you will be able to get back there soon!
Thongs/flip-flops are an absolute necessity for me. Something to protect my feet from burning on the asphalt getting to the car in the parking area and keeps the sand from sticking to my feet.
Good tip on the towel clips – didnt know about those 🙂
You can get tons of waterproof cases on Amazon! A game-changer for sure.
I haven’t tried one yet, but I want to. 👍🏽
I love to go to the beach too. I draw inspiration from it. Thanks for sharing this must have for the beach.
You are welcome! Hopefully you will be able to return soon. 😊
What a great list! I a looking forward to being back to normal enough to spend a whole day at the beach with my son. After all this staying inside, a bit of sun is much needed. Thanks for putting this together!
You’re welcome! I am looking forward to returning to normal days in the sun at the beach again, too. 🙏🏾
Great list! Sunscreen is definitely on my list- because I burn easily. I have never thought about beach clips to hang towel from your umbrella. Smart!
Thanks, Gina! Hopefully we will be able to get back to the beaches, soon. 😊
Great post Robyn, thanks for the practical tips & essentials.
I loooove beach holidays!
On my travel blog http://www.journication.com I summarized great destinations for everyone’s bucket list – with a lot of beaches included 🙂
Kind regards
Phil
Thank you, Phil! I will have to check out your list of destinations to see which ones to add to my travel bucket list. 👍🏽