7 Tools Survive Your Beach Holiday Unscathed

Summer is on its way, and that beach trip you’ve been wanting to organise isn’t going to plan itself. Bringing any or all of these seven tools will ensure that metaphorical sand won’t get you where it hurts most.

Twister Beach Towel

If you’re going to the beach, you’d better bring a towel. They’re useful for drying off, keeping sand out of your sensitive bits, or in this case, playing Twister. It’s every middle schooler’s favourite excuse to touch the opposite gender in convenient towel form! The only major change is that the spinner is replaced by giant, inflatable dice. Awkwardness not included. $US35.[imgclear]

Ray-Ban Interchangeable Lens Aviators

You spend so much time slathering stuff to protect your skin, it’s easy to forget about your precious eyeballs. Enter Ray-Ban’s classic Aviator frames, now available with interchangeable lenses — we’d recommend the polarised variety for the beach. You’ll be able to keep a glare-free eye on bikinis bikinis bikinis your children’s safety. $US230.

Timbuk2 Dolores Chiller

Timbuk2 bags have earned the reputation for being tough as nails with their tough, nylon exteriors and lined with waterproof plastic. Nowadays, most of their bags have shed the inner liner in lieu of padded laptop pockets and other modern features, making them unfit for carrying cold ones. The Dolores Chiller is a throwback to Timbuk2’s inner-linning glory days, with the added bonus of insulation. Now you can rest assured that your bag of ice and brews won’t end up being a bag of bottles floating in water by the time you unfold your beach chair. $US110.[imgclear]

Saturdays NYC Asymmetrical Surfboard

When Saturdays NYC surf shop decided it wanted its own line of surfboards, they sought the work of renowned custom board-maker Rick Malwitz. The finished product is something that would look just as good hanging in the MoMA as it would under the control of Kelly Slater. Its asymmetrical design gives it unique handling characteristics that change depending on which edge of the board you’re on. For instance, the backside has a smaller turning radius due to the shortness of the board. $TBD.[imgclear]

RipCurl H-Bomb Heated Wetsuit

In some areas the water never warms up. That’s where you’ll need a RipCurl H-Bomb wetsuit. It has a built-in electric heating system that keeps you toasty even in near-freezing waters. Leave the heater off and catch some swells at your favourite local spot, or turn it on and shred the gnar with penguins in Magellan’s Strait. Approximately $US800.
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Sea Doo RXP-X 255 Jet Ski

The Sea Doo RXP-X 255 is not for the faint of heart. The “255” is the amount of horsepower its four-stroke, supercharged engine puts out. The floor is where your jaw will be should you choose to use all of them. It’ll do 0-80km/h in 2.9 seconds — that’s faster than a Ferrari F430. $US13,500.
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Reef XS1 Water Draining Sandals

Thongs give you all the benefits of wearing shoes with all the freedom of being barefoot. Compromise! That being said, they can get pretty gross and slippery when wet. Reef’s XS1 sandals fix this problem by incorporating a fancy drainage system into the footbed. The fact that they have a built-in bottle opener doesn’t hurt their case either. $US60.


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