Moving to the seaside. What do I really need?

[Chipsahoy]

Having spent all my life living as far from the beach as you can get in England, in two weeks we move to a ten min journey from the sea! To say I am excited is an understatement.

What do we need for regular beach use? Water shoes, specific towels, something to sit on? Talc for sand? Rash vests?

I’d like to just have this stuff ready in a bag to shove in the car for my many many many trips to the beach that will definitely be happening at least when we first move.

If you live at the seaside, what do you own for the beach?

Oh and it’s north east so don’t suppose there will be much sea swimming in the chilly North Sea…

I keep in the car:

Chair
Towels
Bucket and spade
Football
Wellies

Oh and it’s north east so don’t suppose there will be much sea swimming in the chilly North Sea…

No reason why not, lots of us do!

I keep (in the car or garage ) folding chairs, microfibre towels, swim gear and wetsuits with boots/hats and gloves, boards, SUP, blow up kayaks, dryrobes, ponchos, wellies, fishing gear.....

Get dryrobes!

Lots of snacks! Look into getting a beach hut if your local beach has them, although you will probably have to wait a few years on the waiting list……..speaking from experience!!
So yes to pp advice, a fold up chair is always good and can stay in the car, towels, buckets and spades, fishing nets, beach shoes, change of clothes, extra hoodie for when it’s colder than you think!! Change for the car park and for ice creams/coffee - our local beach cafe only takes cash…….I’m assuming you have kids, an identification book for shells/sea creatures/birds is useful.
Body boards are good, or skim boards, you may not want to swim but kids do not feel the cold like we do!!!

So for a summer beach day, I will take frozen bottles of water and cartons of juice for drinking later on, swimming stuff, towels, a big changing towel to share and bottles of warm water to rinse all the salt off. That’s the basics.

Usually I’ll also take a ball of some sort, buckets and spades, bodyboards if there’s waves, a camping stove and some sausages and rolls, jumpers for when they get out of the sea. I’d like a paddle board for next year.

For less summery days, we would maybe make a fire and have hot chocolate and marshmallows, bring wetsuits for the sea, buckets and spades and balls. Winter time it would be more likely a brisk walk with hot chocolate or a quick dip and quick change 😀
We’ve been in the North Sea all year so it’s definitely swimable

Dinghy for any small folk!

Aldi wet suits!

Pommes

Dinghy for any small folk!“

Only with a rope you can hold onto, though.

More suncream than you usually have.

I'd also say invest in decent wetsuits and well fitting buoyancy aids. I'd not let mine swim in the sea without these. I'd just get them used to the idea that a buoyancy aid is a non-negotiable around the sea, just like a seatbelt in a car. Crewsaver do well-priced high cut ones that don't restrict movement for playing.

Wetsuits
Booties
Water shoes
Poncho towels or dry robes
Camping chairs
A big bendy plastic bucket to carry stuff and then put wet stuff into
Beach bag with pocket for phone/keys (we just use old school/sports bags)

And at home, an outside tap to rinse wetsuits and somewhere to hang then to dry

Oh yes buoyancy aids - kids here do a lot of pier jumping wearing them.

Decent body boards

And a blanket rule of no inflatables - non negotiable.

And for Christmas/birthdays, kids can get vouchers for surfing and water sports instead of more stuff!

I grew up right next to the seaside, beach a 2 min walk and have lived within 5 minutes of it every since wherever I've lived.

In all honesty I don't have anything 'for the beach' it's just normal lifestyle items I'd have anyway, like a decent wind proof waterproof jacket and woolly hat and gloves for cold weather walking, a pair of beach suitable old trainers and sandals, season dependent, I usually wear whatever is on the way out and don't lond getting dirty, I would wear SPF wherever I'm going.

If you live near the beach you can just grab stuff from home whenever you go, like a towel, cold bag if you're planning a picnic etc

Obviously I'd you've got kids maybe you'd want buckets and spades etc but we almost never bothered and just took what we fancied on the day, since we don't do the same thing every time we go.

Oh yes, big trug buckets that live in the boot.

Parking pass.

A dog or two…

Pocket kites!

Oh wow. Thanks so much. Definitely up for trying out swimming in the North Sea thanks for the encouragement. Microfibre towels are fab and we have those. Also have folding chairs and camping stove.

Will look at dry robes, body boards and wet suits. Dh is hoping to get into kayaking again but that will be river based for him.

Thanks so much. I’m probably over thinking it in al the excitement.

Would love a dog! But we had to rehome our beautiful Gsd pup a few years ago when dh who was raised with gsd all his life, suddenly developed a very nasty allergy and had an asthma attack . Honesty I almost rehomed him instead

I’ve swam in the North Sea half a dozen times this summer. It’s fine from July to September. Before or after that and it’s too cold for me!

We own -

• wetsuits (though we haven’t been wearing them much this summer as the water is warm enough without them. We only use hats, gloves and boots in winter and hire these)
• old trainers/canvas shoes for wearing in the water (water shoes tend to fall off)
• half a dozen kids’ character towels (we keep these specifially for the pool or beach. Shake out the sand then dry them on the line for the next day. No need to wash them each time)
• a large roll up blanket/mat with foil backing (easier to shake the sand off than a traditional blanket)
• a couple of good quality camping chairs
• baby powder
• a cool bag
• a big beach bag

We never use a windbreak or pop up tent, though I’ve seen others with these.

My Dd is 12 now so our routine is a bit different to when she was younger, we don't bother with buckets or picnic blankets.

For random beach trips:
From May half term I keep Dd and my rash vests, thick sports leggings and water shoes in the boot with a body board and camping chair. Waterproof seat covers so we don't have to bother drying/changing and talc in the car door to get our (or at least my shoes back on).

For an organised trip we have buoyancy aids, paddle boards, wetsuits, a cool bag, we don't tend to bother with blankets and just carry camping chairs.

We used to use a wagon, Outwell transporter I think which was brilliant at taking stuff from home or from the car if we drove.

Do your research, find out if there is a locals beach, one not as frequented by holiday makers it probably as many facilities but will be quieter in the summer. Make sure to look up tide times and learn where rip currents etc are.

Great big tub/bucket. To stand into change & put wet wetsuits & gear in afterwards so your car remains vaguely clean plus heavy duty bin bags
Rinse kit in the sea before going home to minimise sand.
Always change outside, get an outside tap/shower. Rail in garage for hanging stuff to dry
Big toweling Poncho for changing/ warming up
Warm hat/jumper
Thermos/drinks

You say your DH is going to get back into kayaking. I highly recomend he contacts the local sea kayaking club and gives sea kayaking a go, it's different but wonderful fun. Never sea kayak alone though, which is why I suggest a club, local knowledge of the tides etc. is really important.

I have low neoprene ankle boots, put on 1/2 stockings first, easy to get off

My stingy friend keeps a freezer bag with cones and toppings in her boot then just chucks in ice cream and freezer blocks.

I laugh but shes probably saved thousands over the years

I keep in the boot:

Picnic blanket
Sand toys, beach ball, streamer, frisbees
Chairs - not having a supportive back rest gets old v fast
Talc
3 wheeler all terrain pushchair to use as a beach cart. It has pneumatic tyres, I can load it up to the max and push one handed. It's my essential beach accessory as parking is just slightly too far for me to carry it all on my own. If DH is with me I don't need it.
Extra suncream
Hairbands

I keep in the kitchen
A really good thermos. I need coffee on the beach now we stay so long.

The joy of living near the beach is going there for breakfast, having it to yourselves and going home when you've had enough just before it gets busy.