Tips and Tricks for Beach Days

For most of us the beach, sand and waves are our happy place. For those who do not frequent the beach often, here are a few tips that beach goers should know.

Jellyfish and wildlife. Anyone who goes to the beach notices the beach flag warning system, but a lot of people don’t know what the flags mean. When you see a purple flag flying, there are potential dangerous marine life in the area. Now, this does not necessarily mean sharks, this means jellyfish and other creatures that can sting too. If you do swim, make sure you bring with you some meat tenderizer or vinegar. Sounds weird right? Well, the acid in the vinegar calms the affected area after a sting and the meat tenderizer breaks down the affected skin and removed toxins. You don’t have to have both, you can use one or the other, just make sure you scrape the sting with a credit card before applying these remedies or they will make it worse.

Sand. It’s the beach, sand is everywhere and you cannot get rid of all of it even if you wash off. Try bringing with you baby powder and a large bristled paint brush. The baby powder will get the sand off feet easily and the paint brush for the rest of the body. A lot of public beaches do not have wash stations when you come off the beach so this helps keep the sand where it belongs, on the beach and not in the car.

Beach toys. If you have kids these are essential for a day at the beach. Instead of bringing them in a beach bag, try a mesh laundry hamper. Put everything in and turn it sideways, the sand falls through the mesh and not in your bag or car.

Coolers. It’s not a beach day without a cold drink in hand. Whether its waters and drinks for the kids or something stronger for adults, it’s always difficult to carry a cooler to the beach. Don’t bring a wheeled cooler, you may think “oh, it’ll roll in sand,” no, it will not. If anything this will make it much harder. Try a small over the shoulder cooler if you can and if it is completely full of food or drinks and pretty heavy there’s a fix for that too. Use a boogie board and put your heavier items, i.e. your cooler, on the board and use it as a make shift sled. It’s a lot easier to carry and the kids can help pull.

There are a ton of tips for beach days, but the only one you really need is have fun and enjoy the day, after all you are there to #createhappymemories.