Our Summer Beach Buyer's Guide: Suits, Gear, Accessories & More
- Cash Lambert
- 8 hours ago
- 4 min read
We’re creeping through April. The sun’s starting to break through the clouds more, the UV index is pushing past 8, and the Easter Bunny is making its rounds—summer is on its way.
Now more than ever, you’ll need your summer bag and beach day essentials. Lucky for you, we tested a few products so you know exactly what to grab this season. Let's start with the ladies...
For the Ladies
The Bali Shorts are a solid go-to for all-day adventure. Whether you’re hiking to a waterfall or heading to the beach, these lightweight shorts are the perfect mix of sporty mobility and casual style. Since they’re so light, don’t be afraid to get them wet or even wear them as your latest surf accessory. Leave them out to dry in the sun for a few minutes on a warm day, and you’re good to throw them back on and hit the town.
Some practical features we loved: the elastic drawcord for the perfect fit and the buttonable back pocket to carry anything small and light you don’t want to leave behind.
If you’re ready to trade in your thick 4:3 for something less bulky, this is the springsuit for warmer days. At 1mm thick, it won’t leave you overheating but still keeps you warm throughout your session.
Even in 59-degree water, it was the ideal suit to paddle out in on a sunny day. My arms could soak up the sun while I cooled off dipping into the water between waves.
The All Day One Piece is for those of us who want to move around on the beach or by the pool without worrying about our suit doing the same. I surfed in this, swam, played pickleball, and didn’t have to adjust it once.
The capped sleeves made it super comfortable, and they were the detail I got the most compliments on. So if you don’t want to sacrifice function or fashion in the water, this one’s worth a try.
The Marlowe Daily Face Lotion with SPF 50 is my new everyday sunscreen.
If you grew up near the beach or are constantly in the sun, you might have a complicated relationship with sunscreen—you know you need it, but you hate using it. This one might change that. It did for me.
It protects from the sun while nourishing your skin and preventing breakouts. Unlike others I’ve tried, it wasn’t too watery or greasy, didn’t sting my eyes in the water, and didn’t leave me looking four shades paler than when I showed up.
The Cami and Jax Victoria suit is my new surf suit for the summer, and it should be yours too if you value quality, design, and freedom of movement.
With double-lined seams and an adjustable bow in the back, it molds to your body instead of the other way around. The fit of the bottoms is perfect for those who want the coverage to move freely without constant adjustments, while still rocking a flattering medium-coverage look.
If you’re looking for a sleek suit you’ll reach for every year, no matter what your day has in store, this is the one.
Changing Robe
This one’s for anyone still braving colder weather or who doesn’t like to fully change out of their wetsuit before hopping in the car.
Lined with warm fleece, the Escapism Changing Robe blocks wind and keeps you warm after a session. Even though it has a hood, thick fleece, and enough length to fully change underneath, it folds up tightly into the “stuff sack” it comes in, keeping your beach essentials neat and organized.
Bags
Hair Care
If you’re like me and come back from the beach with knots you can’t brush through, you’ll be pulling for the Coconut Smuggler Salt Shield just as much as I was. Whether it was before I surfed or after I took a dip, the salt shield made my hair smoother, way easier to manage, and smelling exactly like you’d want it to at the beach—like coconuts.
If you’re an ingredient buff, it’s got nourishing and healthy elements like avocado oil, aloe vera leaf extract, vitamin E, and non-toxic fragrance, giving you full confidence that you’re treating your hair right.
Insider tip: apply it to wet hair or before going in the water. This gave me the best results and kept my dry hair from looking oily.
While this duo won’t go in your beach bag, you’ll be rushing home to it.
Dip’s shampoo and conditioner bars are a solid choice for anyone on a hair care journey. If years of saltwater or just life in the water have left your hair dry, give these a shot.
Along with eight different scent options to fit all kinds of fragrance preferences, Dip offers and shampoo and conditioner combo that is scent and fragrance free, in a partnership with the surfrider foundation, for anyone who may be sensitive to fragrances.
One heads-up: read the directions first—Dip even emphasizes this on their packaging. That’s how you get the best results and tailor it to your hair type. My hair runs dry after a beach day, so I followed their tip and left a bit of conditioner at the ends as a leave-in. It was the first time in months I didn’t need to add extra hair oil just to make my hair look healthy.
Beach Bag
Passenger’s recycled dry bag is a great way to stash your wetsuit without soaking everything else in that wet, salty smell. With removable arm straps, you can either wear it around or carry it by the clipable roll-top.
One of the best parts of this product, and the Passenger brand in general, is that a tree is planted with every order. So not only are you scoring a new summer essential, but you’re also making a small impact with every purchase.
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