Sand between your toes, sun on your skin, and waves lapping at your feet; there’s no better way to spend a sunny day than at the beach. Perth is the sunniest capital city in Australia with an average of 139 sunny days per year, which means there are opportunities almost year-round to enjoy one of our many beaches.

Head to one of Perth’s 19 city beaches fully prepared with these must-have beach accessories to protect you from the sun, give you shade, and let you play. 

Sand-free towels 

Gone are the days of taking half the beach’s sand supply with you, covering the back seat of your car with those tiny, fine, white grains. A sand-free towel is one of our best beach accessory purchases to date. Coupled with the perk of being sand-free, they’re lighter weight so easier to carry, super absorbent yet fast-drying, and come in better designs than most normal beach towels — which, let’s face it, is quite important.

Have a look at Tesalate — an Australian company — who are leading the innovation in this space. They’ve engineered their own fabric tech to make their towels sand resistant while still being absorbent and fast drying. With more than 30 designs, the hardest decision is which pattern to choose.

Esky 

You can’t spend a day at the beach without an esky to keep the food and drinks cool. 

Stash your lunch in a minimalist canvas cooler bag from Fremantle’s Pelli Bags, and you’ll not only be keeping it cool, but you’ll also be doing your bit to clean up the ocean. A portion of every bag sale goes to Ocean Crusaders, who work tirelessly to clean up the sea in Australia and worldwide. 

Keep your food company with a selection of delicious ‘zero’ drinks. Pop into Free Spirit Drink Co before your pilgrimage to the sand and stock up on Gage Roads ‘Yeah Buoy’ or some Shelter ‘Jetty Jump Pale’. They’re just as good as the real deal.

Sun protection

Arguably the most essential beach accessories are sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses, and appropriate sun-safe clothing. 

Wearing sunscreen is the easiest and most effective way to protect your skin against our glaring Perth sun. It should be used daily, even if you’re not heading to the beach. 

We Are Feel Good Inc is one of the best to hold up in our harsh climate. Created by an unlikely group down south — including a doctor, builder, and professional surfer — the range of products is free of nasties and packed full of all the good stuff like vitamin E and aloe vera. 

Double up on the skin protection by packing a portable sunshade for your day at the beach. Go for a beach umbrella if you’re looking for some light coverage (Perth-based Finbrella make colourful wind-sturdy options), or a beach tent or cabana if you need something to cover a little more ground. 

With your skin sorted, turn your attention to looking after your eyes. When buying sunglasses, look for those with polarised lenses that help reduce glare from the water. 

Sustainable sunglasses brand Ozeano Vision (Sydney) makes all of its frames with environmentally-friendly plant-based materials. With every sale, Ozeano funds the removal of six kilograms of litter from oceans and waterways. 

Beach games and toys 

The beach is associated with swimming but also with games of beach cricket and sandcastle-building competitions. Bringing some games and toys down to the waterside means hours of fun for both old and young.

Most games can be played at the beach if you don’t mind getting it a bit sandy; some have even been designed specifically for beach use. Think beach volleyball, bocce, or a good old-fashioned frisbee — they’re the must-have beach accessories. Often they’re made to be water resistant, easy to wipe free of sand, and come in handy carry bags, too. 

Do summer better with So Perth

Lead image: Boatshed7