Creative Gifts for Beach Bums
December 2, 2013 8:39 AM Subscribe
My parents love the beach. What beach gear can I give them that they don't already have?
They have all the basics (towels, suits, comfy chairs, heavy-duty umbrellas, coolers) and some specialty items (portable waterproof speakers). I'd love to get them something useful they haven't thought of yet. Or at least something cool and interesting as far as beach gear goes. They don't have a house on the beach, but they do have a small cabana with a shower, refrigerator, and sink where they can store bigger items if need be. They do a lot of cooking in the cabana but I think they have everything they need in that department. Thanks for your help!
They have all the basics (towels, suits, comfy chairs, heavy-duty umbrellas, coolers) and some specialty items (portable waterproof speakers). I'd love to get them something useful they haven't thought of yet. Or at least something cool and interesting as far as beach gear goes. They don't have a house on the beach, but they do have a small cabana with a shower, refrigerator, and sink where they can store bigger items if need be. They do a lot of cooking in the cabana but I think they have everything they need in that department. Thanks for your help!
The Shake beach bag seems like a nifty idea.
posted by Etrigan at 9:03 AM on December 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Etrigan at 9:03 AM on December 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
Do they have a waterproof camera? Or a waterproof case for their cell phone?
posted by jacquilynne at 9:06 AM on December 2, 2013
posted by jacquilynne at 9:06 AM on December 2, 2013
I love the beach too, but I get your problem - it's blissfully not stuff-intensive.
If they like a beverage on the beach, LL Bean sells some great clear-plastic wine "glasses" and other outdoor drinkware.
At the more expensive end of the spectrum, most beach towns have a photographer who does beach portraits. Maybe they'd like a family beach photo? There's usually a fee for the session (a couple hundred bucks) and then people purchase whatever prints they might want from a website.
Do they live where beaches use a badge system? A season pass for the beach or nearby parking can be nice.
A waterproof, hand-crank radio would be great. Assuming it has FM band.
Oh, how about kites? My family usually brings kites to our beach trips, and there's always a nice point in the afternoon to get them up into the air. They're a popular site at beaches. kites with a sand anchor can just jam into the sand near your chair and stay up all day in the right conditions. That also brings to mind other beach games, like a bocce set, Frisbee, or that one with the little frame where you throw balls on strings and try to catch them on the frame. I have no idea what that's called.
posted by Miko at 9:23 AM on December 2, 2013
If they like a beverage on the beach, LL Bean sells some great clear-plastic wine "glasses" and other outdoor drinkware.
At the more expensive end of the spectrum, most beach towns have a photographer who does beach portraits. Maybe they'd like a family beach photo? There's usually a fee for the session (a couple hundred bucks) and then people purchase whatever prints they might want from a website.
Do they live where beaches use a badge system? A season pass for the beach or nearby parking can be nice.
A waterproof, hand-crank radio would be great. Assuming it has FM band.
Oh, how about kites? My family usually brings kites to our beach trips, and there's always a nice point in the afternoon to get them up into the air. They're a popular site at beaches. kites with a sand anchor can just jam into the sand near your chair and stay up all day in the right conditions. That also brings to mind other beach games, like a bocce set, Frisbee, or that one with the little frame where you throw balls on strings and try to catch them on the frame. I have no idea what that's called.
posted by Miko at 9:23 AM on December 2, 2013
that one with the little frame where you throw balls on strings and try to catch them on the frame.
Ladder toss. Also, cornhole never fails to be fun (and you can get them customized boards with, say, their college or favorite sports team or whatever, if you're anywhere near the Midwest).
posted by Etrigan at 9:31 AM on December 2, 2013
Ladder toss. Also, cornhole never fails to be fun (and you can get them customized boards with, say, their college or favorite sports team or whatever, if you're anywhere near the Midwest).
posted by Etrigan at 9:31 AM on December 2, 2013
Lands' End has a beach blanket with stakes that is a giant towel and it elevates one to a beach-going professional. And they don't appear to sell it in the winter! The philistines! Maybe somewhere else has a similar thing...
Do they have chairs for in the water? The Kelsyus Floating Lounger is a treat. (Smaller variation on that)
posted by kmennie at 9:47 AM on December 2, 2013
Do they have chairs for in the water? The Kelsyus Floating Lounger is a treat. (Smaller variation on that)
posted by kmennie at 9:47 AM on December 2, 2013
Sand-free blanket -- the sand filters down through the blanket, so you don't end up with piles of sand on it!
The Parasheets are cool too - nice and light.
Mesh totes
Dry bag for cell phone and cards/cash.
posted by barnone at 9:57 AM on December 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
The Parasheets are cool too - nice and light.
Mesh totes
Dry bag for cell phone and cards/cash.
posted by barnone at 9:57 AM on December 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
My beachy sister asked for some beach blanket clips last year; I'm ... not entirely sure how they work if you don't stick 'em on a chair, but she seems to like them.
Other than that, how about a nice set of beach consumables that are always needed, perhaps stashed in a cool new beach bag (I love the idea of that Shake bag Etrigan mentions)? Sun screen, beach books, bottled water, new flip flops (maybe find some that leave interesting imprints in the sand like these (mine would say LOL BUTTS but that's neither here nor there)) - you know, stuff that people who spend a lot of time at the beach tend to go through quickly.
posted by DingoMutt at 11:52 AM on December 2, 2013
Other than that, how about a nice set of beach consumables that are always needed, perhaps stashed in a cool new beach bag (I love the idea of that Shake bag Etrigan mentions)? Sun screen, beach books, bottled water, new flip flops (maybe find some that leave interesting imprints in the sand like these (mine would say LOL BUTTS but that's neither here nor there)) - you know, stuff that people who spend a lot of time at the beach tend to go through quickly.
posted by DingoMutt at 11:52 AM on December 2, 2013
How about a corkcicle for keeping wine cool beachside?
posted by thirdletter at 3:56 PM on December 2, 2013
posted by thirdletter at 3:56 PM on December 2, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by xingcat at 8:51 AM on December 2, 2013 [1 favorite]