How To Enjoy Reading On The Beach
You can just picture it now. Your beach vacation is coming. Your beach read is waiting to be read. You spread out your towel on the beach, lay down, flip open your book, then…
Man, it’s sunny out!
Okay. We didn’t picture that just right. We’ll make an adjustment.
You spread your towel out on the beach, lay down, set up the umbrella, flip open your book, then…
Splash! A water-logged toy from your nephews crashes nearby, splattering water everywhere.
Okay. A little distraction. Try again. You spread out your towel…
We’ll stop there.
Reading on the beach still stands as one of the summertime ideals. Yet the reality of reading on the beach is beset by all sorts of quibbles that can knock you out of your reading zone.
To set you up for that perfect beach read, we’re tackling some of the common problems faced by beach readers of all sorts and recommending some solutions.
Solving 7 Beach Reading Problems
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It’s Too Sandy! - The best part about going to the beach: the feeling of sand between your toes. One of the worst parts? Finding the sand everywhere for weeks after. If you prefer a sand-free beach experience, consider an extra-large beach towel. Some standard beach towels can be about 3’ x 6’, while some stretch up to 10’ x 10’. Think of it as a California King, but for the beach.
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It’s Too Sunny! - Spending time reading on a sunny beach involves almost as much math as it does literature. You’ll have to keep in mind how long you will be out in the sun, how often to turn over, what kind of SPF you’ll use, and more. Given how engrossing a good book can be, it’s a great idea to bring an umbrella with you for some portable shade.
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It’s Too Uncomfortable! - Depending on your desired reading position, getting comfortable on the beach can be a challenge. To protect your neck and get a little bit of support, you might consider an inflatable beach pillow. Or if you’d like a bit more support without going for a full-on beach chair, this style of lightweight folding chairs could be just right.
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My Book Won’t Stay Open! - A comfy part of beach reading - whether you’re aiming for a full-body bronze or not - is being able to flip from your front to your back and back again. When you’re lying on your stomach, it can become tiresome to constantly prop your book open. To give yourself a helping hand, consider one of these hand-free book reading devices that BookRiot has gathered.
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It’s Too Wet! - Whether you’re reading your book in between ocean dips or your family’s bounding back and forth, a trip to the beach is going to involve someone or something getting wet. Save yourself the stress and grab a waterproof book sleeve (in the style and size of your choosing!) to protect your books and book-reading devices.
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It’s Too Loud! - While waves crashing on the beach can be a welcome sound, the screams of children fighting over the last floatie may be less so. If you’re heading to a more popular beach, you may want to consider some waterproof headphones, like the ones PC Mag lays out in their list, to help block out loud noises and the occasional stray droplet of water.
- It’s Too Nice! - We end with one of the fundamental problems of reading a book on the beach: you’re on the beach. The temptations everywhere: taking a dip in the water, playing with the young ones, or chatting with a lifeguard (strictly about protocols and rules, of course). Our only advice here is to indulge first. You can always read your beach read later, but getting back to the beach might not be as easy!
We know that for as nice as reading on the beach can seem, it’s worthy of a spot among the list of IRLA reading challenges.
What about you? What’s your secret to a relaxing beach read?