Tampa Bay Beach Day Check-List
Tampa Bay Beach Day Check-List
TAMPA BAY BEACH DAY CHECK-LIST
Packing Your Beach Day Bag - What to Bring
The Tampa Bay Beaches and their 26 miles of bliss are truly unlike any other. Other than the crystal clear waters and bright white sand, there is more to get to know about our beaches. So, what should someone coming to visit our award-winning beaches pack? We’re here to give you the essentials on what to bring for the perfect beach day on the Tampa Bay Beaches.
Tampa Bay Beach Day Check-List: Pack your bag with
- A Bathing Suit
- Sunglasses
- Flip Flops
- Beach Towel
- Ocean-Safe Sunscreen
- Reusable Water Bottle
- Snack Containers
- Reading Material (Tampa Bay Beaches Visitors Guide)
1. Bathing Suit
What’s a Tampa Bay beach day without a dip in the Gulf of Mexico? Our warm waters are one of the reasons people flock to our beaches. Be sure to bring your bathing suit or just wear it right under your clothes!
2. Sunglasses
A basic item that many people forget are Sunglasses! Our St. Pete sun shines bright 248 days a year, so on top of protecting your skin, you have to protect your eyes too. The more safe coverage you can get for a full day of fun at the beach, the better. *Pro-tip* You can purchase a decently priced pair of polarized glasses for extra protection and to see clearly through our gulf waters.
3. Flip Flops
Your trip to the beach isn’t complete until your toes are in the white sand. Be sure to pack your flop flops or pick up a new pair at a local beach shop. Once you’ve arrived at the sandy shores, kick off your sandals and easily store them in your beach bag.
4. Beach Towel
A beach towel can serve many purposes. It can be used to sit back and relax on, to sun-bathe on, as a place to have a picnic in the sand and is the perfect thing to dry you off after a dip in the ocean!
5. Ocean-Safe Sunscreen
Choosing the right sunscreen is important not only to protect your skin from burns, but also to preserve our oceans and marine life! Try to avoid sunscreens that have petrolatum, commonly known as mineral oil, which takes years to biodegrade and are known to be harmful or fatal to aquatic life, as well as Titanium Dioxide since it does not biodegrade and is found to react in warm seawater to form hydrogen peroxide which is harmful to all sea life. Banana Boat Simply Protect spray is a great example of an ocean and reef safe sunscreen.
6. Reusable Water Bottle (And Straw!)
Hydration is a key to beating the heat! Be sure to drink plenty of water during your beach day. In an effort to protect our marine life (some 100,000 marine mammals are killed annually from plastics in our oceans), it’s best to avoid bringing single use plastics to the beach. Instead of packing a plastic water bottle, grab a decorative reusable water bottle from home or a local shop! St. Pete is also one of the first cities to ban single-use plastic straws and styrofoam, so if you’re a sipper instead of a gulper, pack your reusable straw as well.
7. Snack Containers
Bringing some snacks in a reusable container instead of a plastic bag has more benefits than just reducing the plastics in our oceans. An empty reusable container can be used as a trash holder, a sand castle toy, or even a shell collector once you’ve eaten your food! Plus, reusable containers come in so many different shapes and sizes so you could bring anything from a little trail mix to a three course meal with salad, a “sand”-wich, and dessert!
8. Visitors Guide
Whether you’re a visitor or a local, our new Visitors Guide is useful to everybody! Full of the hottest spots along our beaches, the new guide is also scattered with discount codes and tips and tricks for every occasion. Discover the best places to stay, eat, play, shop, and more, all in one convenient little book. And if you don’t want to carry the book with you to the beach, leave it in the room and use the digital guide by scanning the QR code or visiting tampabaybeaches.octanedesign.com! Each Visitors Guide offers you a chance to Enter to win your own beach vacation! Enter to Win HERE!
