Great beach vacation experiences are often a result of proper planning and execution. Many individuals who enjoyed their beach trip to the fullest testified to engage in thorough planning ahead of their proposed visit.
Hence, if you want your next beach vacation to be memorable and fun-filled, you should plan ahead as well. To help you do that, we have put together a few things to consider before embarking on a beach vacation.
1. Know how to spot a rip current
Beaches aren’t like the 6×3 above-ground swimming pool you have in your home. These water bodies can be dangerous, especially the currents that flow with them. If not careful, the current can overwhelm you and drag you beneath the water without giving you enough time to react.
So, before embarking on a beach vacation, ensure you know how to identify these dangerous currents.
Some things that might help are:
- Signboards at the beach indicating the presence of rip currents in specific areas
- Discoloured water near the shore
- Difference between the waves
2. Prioritize sunscreen
It’s common for the sun at beaches to be hotter due to the presence of a significant amount of sand warmed by the sun.
So, to minimize the effects of the UV rays (which get harsher when swimming in salty water) on your skin, you should take along sunscreen when visiting the beach. For beach vacations, we suggest sunscreen with a higher SPF rate.
3. Pack light but well, and take along the necessary documents
Many people plan for a beach vacation like they are going hiking. Carrying heavy baggage around like a typical hiker won’t make things easy for you as you have to endure the stress of carrying the heavy bag and protecting it.
So rather than overpacking, try to pack light. In addition, always ensure that you have the required documents and pass. You can consider making digital copies of tickets, coupons, and passes by taking screenshots. Here is how to take a screenshot with an iPhone https://setapp.com/how-to/screenshot-on-iphone. With a digital copy on your phone, you’ll have peace of mind even if you lose it in a hard copy.
4. Swim close to the lifeguard (for non-experts)
The sea waves aren’t your friend. They can get strong, wild, and unpredictable within a short period. Thus, if you are a novice swimmer but still want to experience the soft waves, ensure you do so while staying around the lifeguard. This will help ensure that you get the help you need ASAP should any unfortunate incident occur.
5. Go along with your first aid.
Injuries are common on beaches. If you end up sustaining one, you’d want to ensure that you have the necessary first aid equipment to treat your wound.
So, while tucking your sunscreen into your pack bag for your trip, ensure you don’t forget to include a first aid kit as well. This is important for those travelling to an isolated beach.
The kit should include things like:
- Plasters (should come in different sizes and shapes)
- Tweezers
- Safety pins
- Triangular bandages
- Small, medium, and large sterile gauze dressings
- Triangular bandages
- Crepe rolled bandages
- Disposable sterile gloves
6. Ensure you know your way back to your hotel
We often go to the beach to spend a few hours only to get overwhelmed by the fun activities and spend the whole day. And when we are done, we realize it’s late, and there is no public transport available to drop you back at your accommodation. This often occurs when we visit less-popular beaches. So if you intend to visit such beaches, ensure you know the way back to your hotel so you can easily return to your hotel without public transportation.
Conclusion
Visiting a beach is nothing like visiting a pool. Thus, you’ll need to plan ahead to guarantee your safety while ensuring that you have loads of fun. Take a moment to research the beach you intend to visit. Ask questions and only go along with things you need.
