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The Beach Holiday Checklist - 5 Accessories For An Isle of Wight Day Out
A day out at the beach always looks idyllic and care free in the tourism brochures. Copywriters tend to focus on the feeling of warm sand between your toes rather than the feeling of sand in your bedsheets a week later.
Here is my checklist of five beach holiday accessories that help turn a day out at the seaside into the glorious event it should be.
Here is my checklist of five beach holiday accessories that help turn a day out at the seaside into the glorious event it should be.
Shanklin beach on the Isle of Wight
1. Closed Toe Sandals
Look along a busy beach and you'll see half a dozen people hopping as they attempt to clean their toes to a point where they are ready to be shoved into a sock.
Some people try to remove wet sand through futile scrubbing with their already sandy towel whilst others hop to the water and back again, which has far too much potential to turn into a You've Been Framed moment.
Some people try to remove wet sand through futile scrubbing with their already sandy towel whilst others hop to the water and back again, which has far too much potential to turn into a You've Been Framed moment.
The solution is the closed toe beach sandal, also known as the shandal. It's robust enough to wear in the car on the way to the beach and easy to simply slip your sandy foot straight in and walk back to the car. Give them a good shake whilst you use your car as a leaning assistant or you'll end up with an inch of sand in your foot well.
A couple of warnings - don't buy weedy open toe sandals. I guarantee you will stub your toe on the way down to the beach and will be muttering expletives for the rest of the day.
Secondly, don't even entertain the option of socks and sandals. It might be slightly comfier on the way to the beach but you'll look like the verger from Dad's Army.
Crocs achieve a very similar thing. Some may judge you, but you'll be the one laughing when they take 20 minutes trying to get their socks on.
A couple of warnings - don't buy weedy open toe sandals. I guarantee you will stub your toe on the way down to the beach and will be muttering expletives for the rest of the day.
Secondly, don't even entertain the option of socks and sandals. It might be slightly comfier on the way to the beach but you'll look like the verger from Dad's Army.
Crocs achieve a very similar thing. Some may judge you, but you'll be the one laughing when they take 20 minutes trying to get their socks on.
2. A changing towel
As we all know, getting changed on the beach carries a serious risk of displaying a full moon to the British public. A gust of wind or a loss of concentration can see your towel dropping, inevitably leading to children crying and angry parents.
Instead, get a changing towel which you can slip straight on and use without any fear of embarrassment. Mine has changed the whole beach experience and it can change yours too. There's even an Isle of Wight based eco-friendly fashion brand which sells them calls Rapanui.
For a budget option, simply cut a large hole in the middle of a large towel. Warning: don't try the DIY option with a hand towel or it will only cover your shoulders, leaving the rest of you exposed.
Instead, get a changing towel which you can slip straight on and use without any fear of embarrassment. Mine has changed the whole beach experience and it can change yours too. There's even an Isle of Wight based eco-friendly fashion brand which sells them calls Rapanui.
For a budget option, simply cut a large hole in the middle of a large towel. Warning: don't try the DIY option with a hand towel or it will only cover your shoulders, leaving the rest of you exposed.
3. Pop up beach shelter
Some people still insist on bringing a wind break to the beach, but the pop-up shelter is far superior. Unlike the wind break, pop up shelters are light and perfect for huddling inside if the glorious forecast suddenly turns out to be flim-flam. They also keep the sun off smaller visitors, help the sandwiches stay sand-free and provide a semi secure place to dump your bags.
A wind break is just a cumbersome collection of mallets, wooden poles and plastic sheeting which deserves to stay in the 1980s. And certainly don't bother with a tent which requires poles and a four-page instruction leaflet. By the time you've put it up it's time to go home.
I would recommend you try a dry run with your pop-up tent in the garden. Putting them away requires a bit of practice and you'll find it much easier without an audience.
A wind break is just a cumbersome collection of mallets, wooden poles and plastic sheeting which deserves to stay in the 1980s. And certainly don't bother with a tent which requires poles and a four-page instruction leaflet. By the time you've put it up it's time to go home.
I would recommend you try a dry run with your pop-up tent in the garden. Putting them away requires a bit of practice and you'll find it much easier without an audience.
4. Wetsuit boots
When I was growing up on the Isle of Wight my mother became obsessed with the risk of the Weever Fish (sometimes spelt Weaver). A friend of a friend of a friend had trodden on one in the shallow waters of the Isle of Wight (allegedly) and had suffered instant death.
Actually, I think they just put hot water on it, and it was a bit sore for a week, but you know how these stories from your parents go.
I became terrified of these creatures that lurk in shallow waters, which in my mind were at least six foot long with teeth the size of carving knives.
Actually, I think they just put hot water on it, and it was a bit sore for a week, but you know how these stories from your parents go.
I became terrified of these creatures that lurk in shallow waters, which in my mind were at least six foot long with teeth the size of carving knives.
My mother's solution was to make us wear our father's old trainers whilst swimming, which were obviously six sizes too large for us and filled up with water as soon as you stepped in the sea.
I still don't quite know why we didn't just wear neoprene wetsuit boots, which actually make swimming in the sea more pleasant.
Not only do you remove the (minimal) risk of having your foot stabbed by a rarely seen fish, but you can also happily walk across rocks without making 'oohhh, ahhhh' noises.
Some Isle of Wight beaches have glorious sandy bottoms (Sandown, Shanklin, Whitecliff Bay, Priory Bay, Yaverland, Appley and others) but several others hide pretty sharp rocks. The Hanover end of Compton Bay has a row of rocks, but with wetsuit shoes it is still one of my favourites for swimming as the waves get pretty large at times.
They also keep your feet warm, which is the reason I go for a full wetsuit...
I still don't quite know why we didn't just wear neoprene wetsuit boots, which actually make swimming in the sea more pleasant.
Not only do you remove the (minimal) risk of having your foot stabbed by a rarely seen fish, but you can also happily walk across rocks without making 'oohhh, ahhhh' noises.
Some Isle of Wight beaches have glorious sandy bottoms (Sandown, Shanklin, Whitecliff Bay, Priory Bay, Yaverland, Appley and others) but several others hide pretty sharp rocks. The Hanover end of Compton Bay has a row of rocks, but with wetsuit shoes it is still one of my favourites for swimming as the waves get pretty large at times.
They also keep your feet warm, which is the reason I go for a full wetsuit...
5. Bodyboard
Competent surfing requires several hours of lessons and a basic ability to balance. Competent bodyboarding meanwhile requires an ability to lie down and shout 'weeeeee'!
If I'm honest, the initial reason I bought a bodyboard was really as a disguise for my wetsuit. Without a bodyboard I just looked like a coward who couldn't cope with the cold, but with a bodyboard I looked like someone who needed the extra layer of warmth for enhancing my sport.
It turns out bodyboarding is great fun too. Who knew?
My top tip for an Isle of Wight holiday is to use a roofbox as a 'Designated Sandy Zone' (DSZ) once you've unpacked. Bodyboards, wetsuits, buckets and spades spend the whole week in the roofbox whilst the rest of the car stays gloriously sand-free. Please don't attempt to put sandy children in the roofbox.
If I'm honest, the initial reason I bought a bodyboard was really as a disguise for my wetsuit. Without a bodyboard I just looked like a coward who couldn't cope with the cold, but with a bodyboard I looked like someone who needed the extra layer of warmth for enhancing my sport.
It turns out bodyboarding is great fun too. Who knew?
My top tip for an Isle of Wight holiday is to use a roofbox as a 'Designated Sandy Zone' (DSZ) once you've unpacked. Bodyboards, wetsuits, buckets and spades spend the whole week in the roofbox whilst the rest of the car stays gloriously sand-free. Please don't attempt to put sandy children in the roofbox.
A bodyboard serves more than one purpose
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