Are YOU a performance beach goer?

[keiratwiceknightly]

At the beach yesterday. So many families arrived with bags and bags of stuff - some even with festival trolleys. Shelter up, double rugs on sand, windbreak, chairs, elaborate picnic. Kids into sun suits, then sun cream rubbed into all exposed bits approx every 10 mins.

40 min set up. Sit for an hour. Then dismantle and clear off.

Great spectator sport.

We've got it down to an art! Backpack for me and DH to keep our hands free and one large shopping bag for the beach tent, mat and toys. Suncream on before we leave and kids in their swimming costumes already.

Happily spend 4-5 hours on the beach this way. One backpack is always full of food so we leave lighter than we arrived.

I just sit in my beach hut, make cups of tea and bacon sandwiches.

I only take all the gear if I’m staying all day(ish). Carried in those blue IKEA bags. For an hour, I take a towel and maybe a drink.
(The trolley is on my list of future purchases…)

I don’t think you’ve titled your post correctly OP. You should reword it to “Why am I so much better at going to the beach than everyone else?”

And maybe get a book to read. This isn’t performance beach going. This is called “going to the beach with small kids”. And I say this as a person who lives in the Caribbean next to the beach and don’t need to make multiple trips or load up wagons.

I wish festival trollies had been a thing when mine was young.

@AtalantaRun

No chairs. Parasol, beach tent, blanket, towels, cool bag, buckets and spades etc though. I'm quite proud of my ability to get it all into two bags and a backpack, so I can carry it over the dunes and back easily, and when I'm on my own with the kids and expertly put it all up and down with no stress. I've fucking WORKED at that so spectate away We stay for the day for the day though generally

Haha me too. Packing for the beach is an art and a point of pride.

Arrive,turn up ds 7 bottoms so he doesn't get wet when he paddles.Dry his feet on a tissue,go to a chippy then pub for a pint.

my house is next to the beach.. Wellies for us lol

I think I need a festival trolley in my life

I think anything that makes someones life easier should be applauded, if thats not your thing fine, but no need to be nasty.

Our beach stuff generally fits into one bag - towels, a few beach toys, sunscreen - because I hate having to carry multiple bags while wrangling kids. But then when I’m actually on the beach I can’t help but envy the people with all the gear, sitting in chairs with windbreaks or tents for shelter. I hate over-packing, but it must be nice to be actually comfortable on the beach.

My DH would love a trolley but has to make do with a portable crate on wheels thing - does the job though. He carries his chair, tent, windbreak and swim stuff. The rest of us carry our own swim stuff, chairs and kids carry their own body boards plus food and a flask of hot tea. It’s taken years to perfect and suits us perfectly. (Helps that the DC are old enough to carry stuff though.)

The best ever performance beaching today: a woman entertaining her paddling toddler...by ballet dancing. She was obviously a trained dancer, pure muscle, and I couldn't take my eyes off her, I wanted her to dance all morning. Well done dancer lady, even if your toddler was indifferent, I thought you were the best.

Yes, however no windbreaker, but I also bring;
Wetsuits
Surfboards/bodyboards (sometimes the kayaks)
Snorkles
Nets/buckets/spades

BUT I stay all day...not an hour

@PastramiNoRye

I have a festival trolley. Plus three kids under 8. How else am I supposed to cart the kids, towels, changes of clothes, toys, food and drinks by myself?

The two-year-old ends up needing to be carried back to the car so the trolley is invaluable.

Really glad that me struggling to take my children out is a spectator sport for you. Cheers.

I couldn’t agree more. Single parent with 3 kids and I will be rocking my festival trolley this year. And my kids will bring toys and be suitably protected from the sun. Heaven forbid 🙄.

But yes, you carry on spectating.

Much better action at Whitby beach when we were there. Family arrived- prodigious swearing despite toddler agedDCs - realised the reason that one young lady was keeping her jeans on despite 25 degree heat was to unsuccessfully hide her ankle tag.

After a few minutes, the unmistakable smell of weed wafted across worryingly DS 15 recognised it. This is midday on Sunday.

Sadly after about 20 minutes they left. It was all very exciting.

I do love a bit of performance beach going

There are beaches where the beach trolley is appropriate and beaches where its not
Beaches with carparks close by and short walks to the sand, fine. Beaches with 100 steps, not fine. But I do find some people have a complete obsession with stuff on the beach no matter what the beach

Like if you've come with chairs, a table, toys (like genuine toys not bucket/spade/ball), a gazebo etc why the beach? Why not the back garden? If you don't like the beach why go?

Festival trolley a must! We pack windbreak, pop up tent, picnic sheet that sand goes through, wetsuits, paddle board, beach shoes, towels and lunch. Set up in less than 5 minutes and spend the day there.

Wasn’t aware that made me a performance beach goer”, it’s just easier to lug it all and make the most of the day.

When DC were younger we did shorter beach trips because I wanted nap time to happen on the way home and I'd never leave the dogs at home all day. I didn't have a trolley but it would have made life easier.
What's performance beach tripping about someone only going out for a short period of time?

Misses point of thread but I now want a trolley. They sound so convenient

@didireallysaythat

I don't remember ever going to the beach as a kid for more than an hour or two, and I don't think I've ever taken my kids (10, 15) to the beach. They don't like to swim and if you don't swim, what's the point?

sandcastles, rock pools, kites, burying people....well not their heads obvs....well not often their heads......

I didn't think op was being nasty, just musing that the setting up and dismantling was out of proportion to the time actually spent on the beach.

what you describe as "performance" is not a performance at all, but people doing whatever the fuck they want without giving a shit about judgemental arseholes who have nothing better to do then analyse and criticise what others do.

We love our festival trolley. Bucket bbq, chairs, cool box, flexi bucket/towels etc all aboard. Easy peasy.

What’s the point of the beach?!?!?!

Walks off muttering

I pack for the beach like I'm packing for a week's holiday.

Always worth it though, you end up staying longer because you are actually comfortable.

Also our sea is cold, so needs neoprene and a little beach tent just to survive the elements! And a fleece to wear afterwards!

I long for a festival trolley but most of the beaches I go to are very unstable to get onto, so it'll remain blue IKEA bags for me, I'm afraid.

Not sure why you need to sneer, because someone is organised ?

This doesn't describe me, so I'm not being defensive, but if I'm off for a beach day, it makes sense to take things with you. I've never owned one, but can see that a festival trolley would have been very useful when the dc were a bit too small to do their share of carrying things.