Broken arm plus beach - any tips?

[drumsinthedeep]

My 13 year old DS managed to break his arm a couple of weeks ago and is in a full arm cast. We're off on holiday to the coast tomorrow (with other kids), and I'm wondering whether any wise MNers have any useful top tips? Luckily he's in no pain and is ever so cheerful about the whole situation, but I'm gutted for him, as normally when we go to the beach (which is very rarely), all he wants to do is spend hours in the sea. We've got a limb cover which will protect the cast from a bit of splashing, but the consultant has said it can only be worn for 20 minutes at a time because of condensation. I'd resigned myself to him just playing around on the beach, but the nurse then said we've got to be really careful not to get any sand in the cast . So - any bright ideas of how we can protect the cast and still make sure he has fun? Or any other general 'kid in a cast' tips?

Would he get a long sleeved T-shirt over it if you bought a bigger size? Sand gets in everything, I’d be very careful!

I can't see the beach itself working for a dc in cast, sand really does get everywhere.
But there are bound to be other attractions that you can visit with him around and about.
He is just going to have to do different non beach stuff.

I live by a beach and children i see here with a cast have sweat bands/cut up socks top and bottom of the cast to reduce sand getting in.

luckily it's not his leg, the sand would rub and lead to awful blisters.

Find a stony beach??

Limbo

Maybe a tubigrip would work to 'seal' the cast off, making sure you use a really generous amount (several inches either side of the cast) to ensure no gaps?

That’s an arm cover not a game

DD had a Limbo for her ankle (the cover not the game) and could bathe in it.
Having said that, I marine sand under your cast would be awful, maybe try and seal the ends

Another vote for tubigrip at each end of the cast (and a warning to your son to be sensible or you will be going home).

Don’t go to the beach. Honestly the abrasions that sand can cause are horrendous - I’ve seen a number of casts that have come off after kids have been to the beach and the sores are nasty. I don’t doubt that parents were as careful as they could be but kids will play, the covers slide around, they dig in the sand etc etc. It’s not a risk I would take with my own and I love the beach.

Also it’s poor advice to try and seal it off - it’s sweaty enough under a cast at the best of times, never mind in the heat and in a sealed environment. I take it he’s in a cast that can’t get wet rather than what’s sometimes called a soft cast? (They would have given specific instructions if this were the case).

Thanks everyone, I knew I would get wise words on here. Yes, it's a cast you can't get wet, sadly. We've got a Limbo, which is great, but the consultant said he can only have it on for 20 mins max. I'm starting to think that it might be better to just avoid the beach altogether. It's hard, because it's not just our kids who'll be there, so we can't of course expect other kids to not go to the beach. Such bad timing.

My ds managed the beach with his plaster cast on his arm. He was about 6 at the time. I got elastoplast tape to tape to the top and bottom of the cast to stop the sand getting in but he wasn't allowed in the water other for a paddle under supervision. He was ok.

Gaffer tape and a plastic bag. And if it does disintegrate then just get another one put on.

I broke my arm years ago and ended up having the cast replaced twice for one reason or another.

OP - where are you going, maybe other MN can suggest places to visit / things to do for your DS?

Thanks, that's a nice idea. We're going to South Devon, on the coast between Dartmouth and Salcombe - happy to travel around a bit for cast-friendly things to do!