Ten Tips for Having a Great Day at the Beach

As summer approaches, our minds start to daydream about going to the beach. We long to rest on that warm sand. We can’t wait to splash in that water. Our senses are dying to be pleasured by all that the beach can offer. You see the months before you as a chance to reconnect with family, friends and yourself. I give you the following tips (in no particular order) as something to consider when planning your next trip to the beach.

1. Great Weather

   I’m one of those people who enjoys going to the beach as much during the winter as I do in the summer. However, not everyone is like me. Some people actually go to the beach for the express purpose of swimming and playing in the sand. For these people, good weather is needed in order to have an enjoyable day. You want it to be hot, but not to the point that everyone and their brother is at the beach. Instead, you want it to be just hot enough so that the water isn’t terribly cold and that the sand is warm and dry. I’ve always considered this type of weather to be the kind that only locals and true fans of the beach would see the beauty in.

2. Put On Your Sunscreen

   I hated having my mom slather me in this stuff when I was little. As an adult, I now fully understand why she did it. You need to wear some water/sweat proof sunscreen if you’re going to be spending any time on the beach. Sure, it feels icky. Yes, even the unscented kind smells weird. Still, it beats getting sunburn and the risk of skin cancer. It only takes a couple of minutes to put this stuff on. You’ll be glad that you did later on.

3. Right Beach

   In order to really enjoy the day, you need to pick the beach that suits you best. Do you need to be by a snack bar? Do you need to have a bathroom close by? Do you want to be near an arcade? Are you there to collect shells? Are you in the mood to swim or just relax on a towel? Are you hoping to meet people or be by yourself? For me, I go for the water. If I’m at the beach for an hour, I’m in the water for at least forty-five minutes either swimming or looking out to sea. Someone like me would want a more secluded beach, faraway from the arcade and street. (This would also be the beach were people go to read and enjoy quiet time.) You don’t want to pick a beach that doesn’t suit your needs or where you’ll disturb someone and get into a fight. It’s pretty obvious just by looking at your surroundings (other beachgoers and their activities, near or not near civilization, etc.) if you’ve hit upon the right beach or not.

4. Bathing Suit

   Unless you’re at a nudist beach, you’ll have to wear a bathing suit. Yes, you could wear shorts and a shirt to go swimming in. I just know that I can’t enjoy swimming if I’m in the wrong clothes. In picking out a bathing suit, I always go more for comfort than for style. I like to be covered up enough so that I’m not worried about something showing that shouldn’t, but I also like being uncovered enough so that my limbs can move. (Some people enjoy going to the beach in dental floss. Power to them.) I just believe that unless you’re comfortable you can’t enjoy your day. If you have a bad body image and believe your bathing suit looks disgusting on you, you’re not comfortable. If you’re wearing layers of clothes and unable to breath, you’re not comfortable. If sand bugs keep nipping at your exposed areas, you’re not comfortable. It’s all about comfort. If you’re not comfortable, you need to do something about it preferably before you arrive at the beach.

5. Respectful Beachgoers

   Unfortunately, you can’t predict what people you’ll come in contact with at the beach. You can only hope for the best. What amazes me the most is when someone starts a football game in an area where people are sleeping and reading their books. I always try to give these people the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps they didn’t fully realize their surroundings. Once they do, they’ll move along. After a couple of minutes, someone always goes to speak with these people and politely asks them to move. In turn, these people laugh and continue with their game. This is when it hits me that these people are just abundantly rude. Despite the beach being huge, they’ve decided to disturb everyone else with their little game. It is so sad when a fed up reader takes their ball and punctures it.

6. Time

   If you have no time to spare, don’t go to the beach. There is a mystical power that takes hold of you when your feet touch the sand. So strong is this power that people have been known to remain at the beach from sunrise to well past sunset. You are warned.

7. Good Company

   There are days when you want to hang out with everyone in the world, others when you want to be next to only one person and others when you want to be alone. It all depends on your mood. For me, I always go to the beach with at least one other person. I don’t think it’s so much a fear of getting lost at sea as it is enjoying seeing someone else experience what I’m experiencing. Maybe I’m the only one who feels this way, but hearing someone gasp in awe at that first glimpse of the sea, for me, makes the day feel right. You want to pick the right people to go to the beach with. Unless you’re meeting a huge group, don’t allow someone you’re not abundantly friendly with to tag along. I know that sounds mean, but how can you enjoy the day if you’re constantly having to make sure this person is enjoying their day? Go to the beach with people you know well, the ones who understand how you are at the beach. Ideally, you want to only go with people whose ideas for the day mesh with yours.

8. Calm Water

   If there’s a storm at sea, chances are the water will be choppy. Being one of those wild kids who believed that the more powerful the wave, the better, I always wanted to go to the beach when the weather was bad. Being that my mother was a good mother, she never gave in to my pleas. If you’re planning a trip to the beach, you need to play close attention to the weather. Just because it looks sunny doesn’t mean there isn’t a storm out there. You don’t want your day cut short by a deadly wave. You also don’t want to be arrested for challenging a well-meaning police officer when he tells you to get off the beach. If you’re crazy about waves, calm water isn’t fun, but it does allow for a long day at the beach.

9. Snacks/Drinks

   Don’t you hate it when you’re thirsty and the nearest place you can get a drink has a line as far as you can see? If you plan on being at the beach for the day, I insist that you bring along some light food and drinks. You don’t want to pack a Thanksgiving dinner. However, you don’t want to have to cut your day short because someone has mistaken your stomach's growling for the cry of a sea monster. I suggest you bring a couple of sandwiches, some cut up fruit and lots of water. If you’re worried about the hour rule (If you eat anything, you must wait an hour before returning to the water.), don’t worry about it. Studies show that no time needs to elapse between consumption and swimming. It is apparently just a myth that you will die tragically of stomach cramps if you eat anything and go swimming without an hour passing.

10. Good Mood

    You need to go to the beach in a good mood or with the intention of getting into a good mood once your eyes sea water. (Smiles are contagious after all.) If you can’t promise yourself and your guests that, you might as well stay home. Too often, you see fights break out on the beach. Someone, feeling wronged, has waited until they have an audience to speak their peace. It’s drama that no one would pay to see, an interruption in an otherwise perfect day. Let’s not forget that unless you own the beach, it is a public place. While it may be tempting to you to attract attention, try not to give in to it. You’re not as important as you may think you are.

    I hope this helped you even a little. Enjoy your day at the beach!