Essential Gear for a Perfect Day at the Beach

From forth the loins of fine eyewear peddler William Painter comes this pair of titanium UV shields with bottle opener arms. No matter where you are, if you're protecting your eyes from the sun, you'll be able to crack open a cold one, and protect your through from the thirst.

The sunglasses are carved out aerospace-grade titanium frames that are then anodized twice and powder coated to combat scratching and chafing. Polarized lenses are made from Cr-39 material to support lightness and durability, and can also be swapped out for prescription inserts. My estimation, based on the rockin' pair I have, is that William Painters will withstand being sat on once or twice as well.

Surprisingly, a smaller, softer-skinned YETI, plus that fact that you'll have to schlep the Hopper solo and slung over your shoulder, does not make it less expensive than the big ol' Tundra cooler. It does make it more portable though.

YETI Hopper coolers come in 20-, 30-, and 40-liter sizes. They're made of a DryHide Shell that is puncture-resistant, leak-proof, and lined with an mildew-resistant anti-microbial interior. Hopper sides have 1" of ColdCell insulation, and the bottom 1.5" that, along with a watertight HydroLok zipper, delivers YETI's trademark longterm cooling without leakage.

Cooler exteriors are made of materials that come from the likes of hazmat suits and whitewater rafts, so they'll be stand up to all the bumps, drops, tosses, fish guts, and projectile vomits after one too many that come their way.

At 11' long, the Nalu is a stable and maneuverable board that serves standers and sitters with equal enthusiasm. Rather than a typical flat platform/surfboard design, this hybrid has hollowed out a set of padded foot wells and a molded-in seating area for comfortable use on either two feet or two cheeks. It also features a wave-piercing displacement style bow and broad planning hull with integral tri-fin to make coasting through oceans and rivers an easy task from both positions, and for any skill level. The Nalu SUP is highly recommended for beginners and people who are active but cannot stand for long periods of time, plus for use on days with a lot of wind or otherwise choppy waters.

Despite its Russian doll appearance, Pakayak construction differs little from that of the most respected kayaks available today. The segmented boats are made of kayak-specific plastic resin and interlock with a 275-pound capacity strength and watertight construction. The resilient design follows one that has already shown success in the SCUBA industry--it also makes underwater dive cameras and dive lights possible. Pakayak sections maintain their seal with a 4-point clamping technology that also creates bulkheads at the connection points. The company says these bulkheads actually increase the overall strength of the boat because they are stronger than the hull itself.

Pakayaks should take no more than 5 minutes to assemble, and during use they should feel and paddle just like a traditional kayak. Nested dimensions are 42" long x 24" wide x 16" high. Assembled dimensions are 168" long x 24" wide x 16" high. The cockpit measures 18" x 24". Weight is 55 pounds.

Sand belongs on the beach, not plastered to your feet, legs, hands, back, and...crevices. The worst is when you use an outdoor shower to rinse it off and then take two steps and What the... find it all back all over you again. No, wait. The worst is when you try to use a towel or T-shirt to wipe it off and only end up spreading over more skin surface area and into more bodily crevices.

The Sand-Off! Powder-Infused Beach Mitt has a mesh top and a terry cloth bottom, the latter with a miraculous layer of powder housed inside.

OK, maybe it's not that miraculous. Really, the Sand-Off! gets its sand-blasting power from the equivalent of baby powder. But it still works very well, even when sand and skin are wet, sweaty, and/or covered in sunscreen.

Ultimate Ears makes "speakers for people, not rooms." That means the UE Megaboom is primed for movement. Travels abroad, travels to the beach, even travels to the kiddie pool in the backyard. This powerful piece of tubular tech puts out crisp, heart-pounding sound over all 360 of its degrees, so you'll hear it pumping from any angle, anywhere in the room.

Or on the mountain. Or in the water. The Megaboom challenges anyone from Mother Nature to your nephew and his Spaghetti-Os to take their best shot at it. Designed to be as rugged and resistant as it is powerful, this speaker is sand-proof, kid-proof, drunken party-proof, and waterproof (can be submerged in 1 meter of liquid for up to 30 minutes.) Got it dirty? Grab the hose, rinse it off, and resume.