How To Prepare For Fun Beach Activities

Learning how to prepare for fun beach activities is critical to having a wonderful time on a beach excursion. We want to help you find the best activities, wear the right stuff and take the right gear with you on your next beach adventure.

What Is A Fun Beach Activity or Excursion?

Beach activities excursions are all those wonderful little side trips and touristy things you sign up for when you’re on a beach vacation. Dolphin watch cruises, seashell hunting expeditions, snorkeling, parasailing and banana boat rides are all included. Usually, you’ll find coupons, flyers and advertisements for them at the front desk of every hotel on the strand.

You’ll see the little stands all over the beach with options for tours and adventures for every level of ability and enthusiasm. I also find a lot of information about local options at the Visitor Center at each beach we visit. Of course, the quickest way to find info is to Google ”excursions at x beach”.

We like watching dolphins play in the water, we love the anticipation of finding unique or huge seashells and we like being out on the water touring ruins and historic sites. However, doing any of those things when we aren’t properly geared up is awful. Dhubs, specifically, was wretchedly unhappy the first time we did a shell hunting excursion.

We were hot, uncomfortable and exhausted by the time we got back on the little boat to head back to the mainland with our sad little bucket of shells. After that trip, we said ”never again” and made a plan to be overly prepared for any similar outings going forward. Where did we go wrong, well I’m glad you asked!

How To Choose And Prepare For Fun Beach Activities

Do The Research

Start by reading the information provided by the company about what the excursion includes. Pay attention to what they include and what they leave out. Some things to consider asking about when choosing an excursion include the following.

Things To Consider For All Excursions

• How long is the whole excursion?
• How long does the actual encounter last?
• How many people are typically on each vessel?
• Where does the excursion go?
• Are water/snacks available during the excursion? If so, what’s the cost?
• Can I bring my own backpack cooler with water/snacks?
• What are the inclement weather and refund policies?

Shell Hunting Excursions

• Is there shade available at the destination?
• Is there seating available at the destination?
• Can I bring a beach/camp chair
• Can I bring an umbrella/sunshade?
• Should I wear a bathing suit? Do I need a change of clothes?
• What kind of shells do people typically find?
• Is there a limit to the number of shells I can take?
• Is snorkeling allowed?

Snorkeling

• Are we snorkeling shoreside or from the boat?
• Is there shade on the boat?
• Do I need my own snorkel gear?
• Is there a safe place to store personal items?
• Can I bring my own life jacket?
• What kind of fish/marine life will I see?

Dolphin/Whale Watching Cruises

• What excursion departure time encounters the most wildlife?
• Is the tour company part of an animal protection/conservation group?
  • Understanding the impact of tourism on marine life is important to maintain balance in the ocean ecosystem. Groups that work with conservation teams help to protect the creatures we love to encounter without causing more damage than good.
• Is there a shade cover on the boat?
• Are there specific clothing requirements?
• What’s the appropriate minimum age?
• Do people ever get nauseous on the boat? Should I take an anti-nausea med beforehand?

Parasailing, Banana Boats & Jet Skis

• What are the weight and height minimums?
• What are the weight and height limits?
• How old is the equipment being used?
• What safety measures are in place to prevent injury?
• How experienced is the boat/jet ski driver pulling the banana boat or parasail?
• Can I bring my own lifejacket?
  • Not all lifejackets are created equal and if you are a larger person, you may want to consider bringing your own properly sized jacket for banana boat/jet ski rides.
• Is there a place to keep my personal belongings (keys, phone, wallet) safe & dry?

4×4 Beach Tours

• What are the local regulations rules around driving on the beach?
• Are there areas that I should avoid?
• What happens if the 4×4 breaks down?
• What can I expect to see on the tour?
• How many people are permitted in each party?
• How old is the vehicle?

Beach Horseback Riding

• What breed of horse is available for riding and how old are the horses?
  • As fluffier folks, we typically prefer quarter horses that are at least five years old.
• What’s the weight limit?
• What’s the typical distance traveled?
  • In the event you have to dismount and walk this is important.
• Are there stops along the route and how often will I dismount/remount the horse?
• Is there shade available along the trail?
• How many trips a day does each horse make?
  • This gives you an idea of how the horses are being cared for and treated. Horses can go for long periods of time, but should be able to have long breaks between rides. If the horses are ridden on back to back trips, you might want to look for a different tour co.

What Do Other People Say

Read The Reviews

Read recent reviews of the company on a site other than theirs. Use a third party travel reviewer like tripadvisor or yelp to get all the details. Avoid tourist destination websites like ”Explore Myrtle Beach”. These sites promote all their local businesses whether they are providing excellent service or not because they want all the local businesses to succeed.

Here are some things we focus on when reading reviews

• Is it a recently written review?
  • We try to look at reviews written in the past three months if possible
• Does we share demographic features with the reviewer?
  • Is it the same group type? (family, friends, couple, solo etc)
  • How old is the reviewer?
  • Where are they from?
• Is this a first time experience for them?
• How often do they leave positive/negative reviews?
• Did they have realistic expectations or were they expecting something ”magical”?
• Do they compare this experience to other experiences in the same area?
• What’s the main point? (complaint, info sharing, comparison, praise)

Ask Locals & People You Trust

People who work in the hotel, restaurants or shops you visit while you’re at the beach have often done some of the activities you are interested in doing. They have also talked to others who have done those activities. Accordingly, they have a good idea about which companies do the best job at providing a great excursion experience and which ones don’t.

The tourism desk at your hotel is a great place to start. They want you to have the best time possible so they will always point you in the direction of the most reputable tour companies. They will also often have discount codes available that aren’t available to the general public.

If you have friends or family members who have done the activity you want to do, ask their opinion. Remember that the closer you are in likes, dislikes and abilities, the more reliable the information you get will be for your own trip.

How To Prepare For Fun Beach Activities: Clothes

Sunscreen

Before you put on anything else put on sunscreen and protective lip balm. Apply your sunscreen of choice to your face, neck, head, arms, hands, legs and feet. Trust me on this one, if you’re on the beach at all, you’re going to need it.

You want to apply sunscreen at least 15 minutes before you head out into the sun to give it time to soak in. Now, some people are completely against sunscreen because the ingredients in many can cause allergic reactions. Needless to say, I’m picky about which sunscreens we use. Fortunately, there are some good natural sunscreens out there that we like a lot.

Natural sunscreens can be a little pricy, but I’m pretty sure paying for skin cancer to be removed is more expensive, so I’ll spend the $25-35 to get a good natural sunscreen. We also make sure to reapply every hour to hour and a half while we’re in the sun. If you are looking for a good organic/natural sunscreen, Skin Care Ox has a great list you can check out.

The sunscreen we use most often is All Good Organic Sunscreen Kit. I like it because it doesn’t feel greasy and thick on your skin and it’s SPF 20-50 (depending on the product). So far, we have not been sunburned when using this product which is amazing because one of us usually end up looking like a lobster the first few days we’re out in the sun. 

Swimsuit

Choose a comfortable swim suit you can move around in easily and that you are not going be self conscious wearing while you’re bending over every few seconds to pick up shells on the beach. No, you shouldn’t feel self conscious ever, but if you’re like me, some outfits and specifically some bathing suits just aren’t as comfortable as others.

Recently, I’ve been wearing swim shorts and tankini tops which are amazing for fluffier women like myself. The shorts dry quickly, fit well and don’t show half my hind-end to the world while I’m playing in the sand or water. You can find tankini tops for every size and shape anywhere you normally shop for clothes.

I also wear a comfortable coverup or t-shirts over my suit while on the boat or waiting for the activity to begin. Even with sunscreen, it’s easy to burn if you’re in the sun for extended periods of time. Dillards and Belk are great places to look for coverups and swimsuits on clearance at the end of summer if you happen to live near one.

Dhubs finds longer swim trunks and a swim shirt to be useful when doing the excursions because they are comfortable and prevent excessive sun exposure. If you’re looking for good deals on big and tall swim wear, Dillards usually has a great selection of great quality swim trunks.  

Sunglasses and Hats

Sunglasses with some sort of lanyard are a must on beach excursions. I always leave my good sunglasses at the hotel for these adventures and find a pair of cute fun sunglasses at the dollar store. The last thing you want to do is lose an expensive pair of sunglasses while bouncing around on a banana boat.

Take a hat with a chin strap because flop hats and ball caps will be blown off your head if you’re on a boat in the ocean. Dhubs always takes his “ugly hiking hat” as we call it and I take my beach flop hat that has a chin strap. It makes a huge difference to have a hat to protect your head, face and neck while out on the boat.

Shoes

Flops, sandals or water shoes are a must for a boat excursion. Don’t bother with anything that requires socks or is hard to get on and off. We always take an extra pair of sandals/slides to change into when we get off the boat so we aren’t driving home with wet feet sliding around in damp shoes.

If you’re doing a shell hunt or anything else where you’re feet get wet, water shoes are your best bet. They dry fairly quickly, they keep you from burning your feet on the sand, and they protect your feet from being cut by broken shells in the water. Nothing kills the fun on a trip like bleeding.

How To Prepare For Fun Beach Activities: Things To Bring

Backpack or small rolling cooler packed with ice cold water and sports drinks

Trust me on this, you’ll thank me forever. The excursion team will tell you to bring water. What they fail to tell you is to bring a bunch of water. You’re going to want a drink while you’re waiting for all the last minute arrivals to get on the boat, another one or two while you’re piddling around looking at dolphins or hunting seashells and another drink coming back on the boat.

You’ll want it to be cold because being on a boat like that for a couple of hours smushed up against other people increases your body temperature and in my case…my temper. I really dislike being hot and in close quarters with others at the same time. It really improved the attitudes of the kids on the boat when we opened our pack up on the way back and told them to grab a handful of ice to help cool off.

If you’re taking a small hard cooler, using one that rolls is important because you may end up parking a good ways off from the boat. The cooler can also be used as a seat if you go out to a shell hunting island and don’t have a camp chair.

Prepare For Fun Beach Activities With The Right Day Pack Supplies

• Extra Sunscreen 
• Non-melting snacks like nuts, chips, granola bars etc 
• Baby powder (helps to remove the sand from your hands and feet once you’re dry
• Wet wipes
• Waterproof pouch for phones, keys and wallet
• Cash for tipping the guide in a ziplock/waterproof bag.
• Travel first aid kit
• At least 1 beach towel

Buckets and shovels for shell hunting

Choose your bucket wisely. We have found buckets with little holes in the bottom and sides to be best for shell hunting. This allows you to rinse off the shells so the sand falls out the bottom of the bucket. Hard plastic spades are also great to have on hand and a grocery bag to put the whole kit and caboodle in once you’re ready to leave keeps sand out of your car.

Prepare For Fun Beach Activities With The Right Camp Chair And Sun-brella

Take easy to carry foldable camp chairs for each person in your party if you are going shell hunting. Most companies drop you off on a little shell island of some sort and leave you there for an hour or two so there’s no going back and sitting on the boat if you finish your shell hunting early. So you either stay in the water to keep cool or sit on the hot sand. Either option is miserable and we have done both.

Having the chair helps a lot. I’ve also seen people bring golf umbrellas which works great but requires someone holding it. The sport-brella is a much better version of this and provides a good bit of shade and are easy to transport. Having the sport-brella makes for a pleasant afternoon.

Wrapping Up How To Prepare For Fun Beach Activities

As you anticipate your sun drenched vacations and plan things to do while you’re out, plan at least one adventurous thing that you’ve never done before. Fantastic sightseeing, shell finding and water excursions are great and available at almost every southern east coast beach. Remember, the most important thing you can bring along for any adventure is a good attitude.

Of course, you get out of any experience what you put into it and being prepared helps you have a lot more fun. Having fun and making wonderful memories should always be at the top of your to-do list for any vacation. Learning how to prepare for fun beach activities and excursions should be near the top of that list as well when you’re hitting the coast.

As always, we hope you have Triptastic adventure on your beach vacation. If you’d like to learn more about the fantastic adventures you can have if you’re visiting the Outer Banks, check out this Unique Things To Do In The Outer Banks post.