The beach is full of people, tourists, locals, professionals, and true watermen. Tourists flood to the beach with cars and wagons piled high with ice chests, towels, chairs and huge umbrellas or shade tents. Tourists wear different clothes; they do different things and have different needs at the beach then the locals, professionals or true watermen. Tourists can be honeymooners, families full of kids, retirees, or tourist from different parts of the country or those from different counties. Each person is unique but they all have the same desires, a happy, safe, fun time at the beach. We have watched decades of people flock to the beach and in doing so have compiled a list of essentials for newbies and tourists heading to the beach.
1) Sunscreen
The number one essential is a great sunscreen. Sunscreen selections can be overwhelming. There are so many choices, UV factors, ingredients, spray-on vs. wipe-on, waterproof or not, and lotions vs. oils. Sunscreen can be a waste of money if it washes off immediately when you go in the water. Get a good sunscreen like SolRx. SolRX was voted best in its class. SolRX sunscreen is medical grade zinc based formula that goes on quick and will last 8 hours with one single application. SolRX sunscreen doesn’t clog the pores like some of the thick and greasy lotions and spray-ons. SolRX is recommended by dermatologists for those with acne or sensitive skin. It is both hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic. It protects baby soft skin as well as aging skin. It doesn’t run and burn the eyes when exposed to the water.
2) Retro Swim Trunks
So, you’re not into the classic board short, try retro swim trunks. Retro swim trunks offer 2 side-seam pockets with mesh gussets for stream lined water flow, so your pockets don’t fill with water and pull your trunks off. The mesh gussets also release air so you don’t get that big balloon look. There are different kinds of mesh liners, rough and brassy and the silky, soft Cool-Plus liners that take the Retro Swim trunks to the highest-level of comfort. The liners are ultra comfortable, supply super support and they wick away moisture, keeping you dry and high. The waist band is elastic and holds up in the waves.
3) Rashguards
Don’t take your kids to the beach in an old t-shirt. They fill with water and can drag your child down in the water. Cotton t-shirts stretch and tangle up in their legs make movement difficult. Sand slips in between the cotton woven fabric and causes terrible rashes on many parts of your child’s body. Rashguards are tightly woven, light weight, breathable, super quick drying beach shirts. Most provide UV protection and some give a rash free guarantee.
Kids also need other things such as swimsuits and hats. Check out the Jr. lifeguard selection of beach wear, it has everything needed to outfit children with top notch, high quality gear that is made to stay up, stay-on, and has UV protection built in.
4) Stingray Kit
There has been an influx of stingrays this year. Be sure to shuffle your feet while you are in the water. If stung get the person’s foot into very hot water immediately. Stingray kits are perfect and easy to use in such an emergency. The stingray kit contains everything you need to make sure the stung person goes without 6 hours of excruciating pain. The stingray kit is light weight and convenient to carry. Every parent should have one.
5) Hats
Besides a huge umbrella, you need shade to stop the sun from beating down on the top your head. A hat also helps block UV rays, as well as sand glare. We have a great selection of hats. They have a variety of comfortable baseball style hats with terrific beach logos. Check out the snapback, trucker and 5 panel style hats. If you want more protection try a Tonga hat, La Palapa hat or Guard Flex visor.
6) Sunglasses
Sunglasses are a personal choice. Make sure they wrap around your eyes and don’t leave areas in which the sun can sneak in and damage your eyes. Spend some money and get glasses that have both 400 UV protection and UVB protection. Polarized glasses reduce the glare coming off the asphalt, sand and water.
These essentials will ensure you have a fun, safe day at the beach. We strive to supply all beachgoers with the perfect gear for the beach.
If you haven’t then consider yourself very lucky. Stingrays inflict a whole world of pain on their unfortunate victims, and the only treatment is to endure the gut churning pain, while soaking the injured limb in borderline scalding water.
Stingrays are everywhere in the United States
There are twenty-two different species of stingrays in the United States waters. They span from coast to coast, in bays and oceans, in brackish to salty waters and the only way to prevent a stingray strike would be to wear steel lined combat boots while swimming. Sure the ‘stingray shuffle’ works for most but eventually you will be stung if you spend most of your days at the bays and beaches we love so much. It is estimated that over 2,500 people will be stung in the United States this year.
I have been a lifeguard in Southern California for over ten years, and in that time, I have treated countless stingray victims. No one is safe. I have seen victims at every location imaginable and stings to pretty much everybody part, so pretty much if there is salt in the water there is a chance of getting stung by one of these pesky critters.
At lifeguard stations throughout the country the standard treatment is to soak the foot in hot water typically about 112 degrees or as hot as you can stand without burning the skin. However, there is great risk involved when you are treated at the lifeguard station. Lifeguards reuse the buckets for stingrays and these bloody buckets are supposed to be cleaned and ‘sterilized’ after each treatment. This doesn’t always happen and there have been some cases where people are infected with a serious blood borne diseases like HIV, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C following a treatment by lifeguards. The buckets you soak your feet in at the lifeguard station have seen hundreds of bloody feet and all it takes is a little mistake by the cleaner of the bucket to seriously change your life. The only way to completely avoid accidental infection by something much worse than a stingray sting is to use a sterile single use stingray bag. The bag should be free standing when water is poured in so you’re not stuck holding it up while enduring the excruciating pain. The stingray bags that are sold here… are both free standing and insulated so you just need to add hot water and head straight home or to the hospital.
Why you need a stingray kit
Many remote beaches have no lifeguards and especially no access to hot water. At our lifeguard store we have patented a product for just that occasion. It is a safe chemical reaction kit that heats water on the go anywhere. Just add water.
Humans spend billions of hours in the water, specifically the ocean. One of everyone’s biggest fear is to be attacked by a shark. Yet in 2016 there were only 4 fatalities resulting from unprovoked shark attacks worldwide and 0 fatalities in the United States. Stingrays, a cousin of the shark, on the other hand, have reeked more havoc in just two days, then sharks have in the past 10 years. Lifeguards have had their hands full supplying string ray kits to the victims.
Background on Sting Rays
Stingrays are found in warmer coastal tropical and subtropical waters throughout the world. They are docile creatures and only attack in self defense. Beachgoers of all ages accidentally step on the stingray partially buried in the sand and the frightened fish flips up its tails and stabs the unaware victim. Contact with the stinger causes local trauma, the cut itself causes pain, the venom causes swelling and muscle cramps. Infection from bacteria or fungi may happen later.
Facts on Deaths and Injuries by String Rays
Only 17 people have ever been killed by stingray since 1890. The most mainstream attack was to Steve Irwin known as a Crocodile Hunter on Discovery Channel in 2006. The barb penetrated his thoracic wall causing massive trauma resulting in his tragic death.
Experts assisted by lifeguard’s statements report there are 1500 sting ray injuries every year in the USA. Southern California already had hundreds of stingray attacks this past weekend alone. Sadly, three people were sent to the hospital, because they were having trouble breathing after being stabbed by the ray’s barbed tails. These stingrays might be small, but their barbs pack a punch.
Number of String Rays in Southern California is Growing
Southern California has been saturated with recent stingray injuries. The lifeguard units from Seal Beach, Huntington Beach, La Jolla and Coronado have been reporting a highly unusual surge of stingray injuries, and a growing number of shark sightings in their areas. Lt. Claude Hannah’s of Huntington Beach Marina Safety says, “There must be hundreds of thousands of stingrays out there.” According to different sources, the unusual numbers of stingrays and sharks in this area is a very strange phenomenon, though they disagree on why they are out there in such huge quantities. Regardless of the reason, it is vital to point out that lifeguards are doing a great job warning people by using signage, and reaching out via social media with warnings of when to stay out of the water.
What to Expect if Stung?
Though most stingray injuries aren’t serious, there is always the potential of a severe allergic reactions. That said, always use discretion when going into the water, and as any good lifeguard will tell you, always shuffle your feet in the sand. Stingrays are hard to spot because they cover themselves with sand. Low tide in the afternoon is the worst time of day to be playing in the shallow water at the beach.
90% of the people that are stung by a string ray are stung on the legs or the foot. The stingray’s barb is whipped into the unsuspecting victim, producing a deep puncture wound. The barb usually breaks off in the wound and infects it. So, it is important to have the injury checked out by a lifeguard immediately after it happens. Sometimes surgery may be required to remove the barb fragments. If you get hit, immediately see a lifeguard and get a sting ray kit. Time is of the essence. The injury is very painful but is seldom life-threatening unless the stinger pierces a vital area. Always follow up with a doctor.
Sting Ray Kits
What can you do if you aren’t in the location of a lifeguard? At Original Watermen, we sell Lifeguard approved Sting Ray Kits that you can carry with you to the beach. Don’t get caught unprepared! Get your foot immediately into hot water before the toxins kick in with full potency. If you don’t catch it in time, you or your child will have 4 to 6 hours of searing pain as the sting runs its course. This can all be avoided by caring stingray kits for each person in your family. And if you don’t have a kit remember to immediately locate the nearest lifeguard or lifeguard station for help.
The beach is full of people, tourists, locals, professionals, and true watermen. Tourists flood to the beach with cars and wagons piled high with ice chests, towels, chairs and huge umbrellas or shade tents. Tourists wear different clothes; they do different things and have different needs at the beach then the locals, professionals or true watermen. Tourists can be honeymooners, families full of kids, retirees, or tourist from different parts of the country or those from different counties. Each person is unique but they all have the same desires, a happy, safe, fun time at the beach. We have watched decades of people flock to the beach and in doing so have compiled a list of essentials for newbies and tourists heading to the beach.
3) Rashguards
