What’s better than a trip to the seaside? Due to climate change, ordinarily temperate nations are experiencing much hotter summers. Visits to the beach can help people to cool off, relax, and enjoy the sun.
However, if you don’t properly prepare and plan for your trip to the seaside, then you won’t be able to get the most out of it. Proper preparation and planning are essential, otherwise, your trip will be chaotic and disorganized.
This post will tell you how you can prepare for your next trip to the seaside.
Identifying Beach
One of the first things that you need to do if you are planning on visiting the seaside is to find a beach. Ideally, you should find a beach that’s not so busy. On warm days, families from all over flock to the beach. If you go to a popular beach, then you are probably going to struggle to find somewhere comfortable to sit. If you go to a more secluded beach, however, then you will probably on have to share it with the locals.
Checking Weather
Always check the weather before you head out to the beach. A lot of people make the mistake of checking the weather in their geographic area (i.e., the city or region that they live in) rather than where they are going. It’s always colder at the beach, so make sure that you check the weather in the area that the beach is in using an online temperature-checking service. The last thing that you want is to have to travel for hours to the beach, only to discover that it’s freezing cold, raining, or windy. Never leave home without checking.
Bringing Equipment
What’s the point of going to the beach if you aren’t going to have fun there? The best way to have fun at the beach is to take equipment with you, like a stand-up paddleboard for example. An inflatable SUP board will fit in the boot of your car, so bringing one is a great idea. If you do intend on performing any kind of water sport, then in addition to checking the weather before leaving, you might also want to check the water conditions. If the water’s choppy on the day that you are traveling, then water sports might not be sensible.
Packing Sunscreen
If the weather’s going to be hot on the day that you are going to the beach then it is probably a good idea to pack some sunscreen. When you are at the beach, you don’t get much protection from the sun. There don’t tend to be many trees on beaches. If you are exposed to the sun’s rays for long periods of time without sunscreen then you can get horribly burnt. Sunburn will make you regret having ever gone to the beach. Make sure that your family also applies sunscreen, so that they are protected too.
Isolated Areas
If you are going to travel to an isolated beach, make sure that you aren’t alone. Even the most experienced swimmers can get themselves into spots of bother in the ocean. Taking family with you will ensure that if you get into any trouble you will have somebody there to rescue you or to notify the coast guard. While it is very unlikely that anything will go wrong on your trip to the beach, you should always be prepared. It is especially important to bring people with you (or to go to a popular beach where people will be able to see you) if you are going to be performing water sports, like stand-up paddleboarding or kayaking.
Taking Lunch
When most people go to the beach, they eat fish and chips. However, fish and chips from seaside restaurants can be very expensive. The best alternative to spending a fortune in a seaside fish and chip shop is to bring your own packed lunch. One of the best things about bringing packed lunch is that you don’t have to leave the beach to go and eat, you can just put a towel down and eat your lunch by the water, enjoying the scenery and surroundings.
Building Sandcastles
If you are traveling to the beach with children, then you might want to consider bringing a bucket and spade so that they can build sandcastles. Building sandcastles at the beach is very fun and is a great way to keep your children occupied so that you can focus on swimming or sunbathing. Sandcastles are also fun for adults to build, too. If you want to set yourself a challenge, then you could try to build a very large sandcastle before the tide comes in. There are online forums and social media pages where you can submit pictures of your sandcastle creations.
Hiking
If the beach that you are going to is in a rural area then why not go for a hike in addition to enjoying the water? Hiking is a very enjoyable activity, not to mention one that’s very good for you. However, if you are going to a beach that’s in a city, town, or busy area, then it is very unlikely that you will be able to go hiking. The best beaches to hike in are ones with big sandy dunes and cliffs around them. Make sure to draw up a map of where you are going before you go, just in case you get lost.
Consider Camping
Camping by the beach is a lot of fun. If the weather’s going to be nice for a day or two after your visit, then you could set a tent up by the beach and stay there overnight. If you have fishing equipment, then you could go sea fishing too—you could eat what you catch. If you are going to go camping then make sure that you set your tent back from the water’s edge so that you don’t get wet when the tide comes in.
If you intend on visiting the seaside, then you need to prepare. You should consider all of the points in this post, in addition to things like petrol, how you will get there, and what you’re going to be doing after you arrive. It’s much easier to enjoy a trip to the beach when you plan for it properly.
