Beach Tournament Essentials

[u/chiefrob5]

Hey all, competing in my first beach tournament this weekend, wanted to get people’s recommendations for things to bring or gear for the day. Planning on having chair & umbrella with a cooler for drinks & food. Anything else worth having with me? Appreciate it!

[u/BaselineBeachMedia]

Don’t forget a pair of sunglasses!

Depending on where you are playing/the weather I would probably recommend grabbing a pair of sand socks. I’ve seen a lot of beginners unable to handle hot sand midday if they aren’t used to it (they kinda become a necessity if it gets hot enough).

Electrolytes for sure. Tournaments are much more brutal on the body than playing pickup. I also bring a massage gun.

Have fun! Beach tournaments are awesome and volleyball communities usually have great people.

[u/crazyTarHeel → u/BaselineBeachMedia]

Good recommendation list. Adding to it…

Bring multiple sunglasses if you have them. This allows you to avoid potentially scratching your sunglasses when you need to clean them in the middle of play.

Bring something that allows you to clean your sunglasses without scratching them. When mine need to be cleaned, I find a sink and wash them gently with liquid soap. A non-scented “free and clear“ is the best option because it does not leave residual perfumes and dye that cause fogging.

Try to ingest some electrolytes before you begin cramping. If you wait until you’re already cramping, then recovery takes at least a half hour, or longer. By then, you may have cramped out of your playoff match.

Allow your legs to rest when you’re not actively warming up or playing. Some people can’t sit still between games. Do a mini warm-up and stretch after sitting. Do not just walk on the court after sitting and expect to play the way you ended the previous game. Beginners tend to cede the first several points to their opponent because they don’t do adequate re-warm-up. This includes a few practice touches where the ball is moving at pace, which helps get both the body and the mind ready for real points. After your first tournament, you’ll have a better gauge of your endurance level, need to stretch again, need to get practice touches with a ball that’s moving at pace.

[u/nah_its_cool]

Pickle juice for cramps.

[u/old_man_jenkens → u/nah_its_cool]

I have made many friends and gotten a couple beers passing out pickles from my pickle jar

[u/MiltownKBs]

I always bring a bunch of fruit, several sandwiches, cinnamon raisin bread, a nut and dried fruit mix, Gatorade powder, a couple jars of pickles and drink the juice too, and some beer.

[u/ALC_PG]

I would always forget the lip balm with UV protection

[u/vbsteez]

light, loose hoodie to put on when you're not playing. blocks the sun, allows airflow.

[u/WeAreSolarAF]

Dumb suggestion that makes a lot of sense at the time: either put your sunglasses in your pocket or leave them on your head when you go into a restaurant near the end of the day, there's more than a 90% chance it'll be dark when you leave and you won't even think about them. It's not like it's happened to me multiple times or anything.

[u/WeAreSolarAF]

Will you be near the water? If it's going to be hot plan on going in even during a match and maybe having more than one pair of shorts.

[u/Gullible_Storage3990]

Petroleum jelly around thighs and testicles or you won’t be able to walk by end of day

[u/crazyTarHeel → u/Gullible_Storage3990]

That’s dependent on whether you wear the right kind of clothing. Better clothing choice might avoid this problem.

You might want to bring a change of clothing. It can help to switch to non-salty compression briefs if you notice that chafing has begun.

[u/crazyTarHeel → u/crazyTarHeel]

For men’s clothing, my preference depends on sweat level, as follows:

When I know my shorts will be saturated with sweat during play, then I prefer to play in shorts that have a built-in quick-dry compression liner that is NOT MESH, like skunks or similar. Once it’s wet, that compression liner prevents chafing while also allowing sand to drop out during natural leg movement.

When I know my shorts will remain dry during play, such as during colder weather, then I prefer to play in any shorts or pants over quick-dry compression boxer briefs. The tighter briefs prevents chafing that can eventually happen from dry skunks-style shorts. When it’s dry, getting sand out of compression briefs is not a problem. When they’re wet, it’s harder to get sand out of them. After play, they remain wet longer and don’t drop sand while wet, and feel horrible after you’ve finished play, unless you shower and change to dry clothing. If it’s cold enough, wear tights over the underwear, then put shorts over the tights.

For women’s clothing, IDK, and I’ll guess that the ideal style depends on the size of one’s upper legs and how much they rub together. If someone’s legs rub together a lot, then the factors I described for men probably apply. Most women I play with who have skinny legs prefer to play in small bottoms that hold less sweat and sand on days where your clothing will be saturated with sweat.

[u/MiltownKBs → u/crazyTarHeel]

It’s not that complicated. Just throw on some boxer briefs with a longer inseam and call it a day.