Packing for the beach
1. Emthunzini Hats
R999, sunhats.co.za With an up-turned brim, a French Navy ribbon trim and genuine leather tan strap, the Tina M Eden Flexibraid looks like an ideal ladies sun hat. But what we really like about it is that it’s crush resistant, has a UPF50+ sun protection and an adjustable loop around the head.
2. Turkish Towels
R489, thecottoncompany.co.za These beautiful towels are crafted by a family-run team of artisans in Turkey before finding their way to the Cotton Company’s showroom in Paarl. Loomed from pure cotton, they’re elegant and soft (but don’t dry quite as well as a normal towel).
3. Ballo Sunglasses
R2 190, ballo.co.za
For seven years, Ballo has been rethinking sunglasses. Using recycled offcuts and other sustainable materials, and hiring local talent instead of using automated machinery, the company produces trendy shades with a clean conscience, such as the Bardot (pictured).
4. Oh-lief Natural Sunscreen
R245, ohlief.com
Oh-Lief’s preservative-free sunscreen range has been endorsed by Cansa and uses non-nano zinc oxide, a natural soft mineral that sits on the skin without sinking in. It comes with in SPF 30, and has a subtle coconut scent.
5. Gilo
R725, gilolifestyle.com Gilo’s board shorts are made from around 20 plastic bottles sourced from India, Pakistan, China, Malaysia and Thailand. The men’s come in 25 different designs, and a range for kids has just come out.
6. Breazies
R695, breazies.com From dragon fruit to dragonflies, Breazies has a bunch of fun designs and two styles – Classic and Flexi. Based in Salt Rock, they also sell eye-catching beach towels.
7. Plakkie
R280, plakkie.shoes From the same team who created the brand Veldskoen, comes the summertime equivalent, Plakkie. I’ve been wearing mine all over the show for a while now and they’re still going strong (I’m yet to get a dreaded blowout).
8. Granadilla
R740, granadillaswim.com Conceptualised on Clifton Fourth Beach in 2014, this brand made waves quickly and has been worn by the likes of Chris Gayle, Siya Kolisi and Justin Bieber. There are 30 designs, and a new women’s range was recently launched.
9. Cookie Cutter
R340, cookiecutter.co.za Hailing from Durban, Cookie Cutter sells a range of bikinis, boob tubes, skorts, one-pieces and halternecks – many with floral designs.
10. Bikini Love
R699, onlinebikinishop.com
Bikini Love is considered the biggest online bikini shop in SA. It also sells full-piece costumes such as the Lucy Island Palms (pictured).
11. BeachCult
R999, beachcult.co.za BeachCult uses local designers to create elegant pieces inspired by local wildlife and landscapes, such as this halterneck one-piece.
12. Whimsical Collection Beach Bag
R270, whimsicalcollection.co.za
If it’s large and loud you’re looking for, this recycled-plastic beach bag, with almost 100L of packing space, is enough for a good, long family day at the beach. And the striking pink and green design of local wildlife is a real head-turner.
13. Sealand Tommy Bag
R1 695, sealandgear.co.za
This hardy tote bag has an elongated 11,5L pack space, to fit your beach gear easily. There are also exterior and interior pockets for stashing valuables. It’s stylish enough to double as a general on-the-go bag.
14. Koelte Beach Gazebo
R1 795, koelte.co.za
This innovative, locally designed gazebo weighs just four kilograms (much lighter than a traditional one) and handles the wind well – it’s designed to face the wind. It goes up in a jiffy, taking two people less than five minutes to erect the polyester shading (3m x 3m) using the two-metre aluminium poles and four sandbags. Available in orange, white and blue, the rig can provide shade for about five people lying down.
15. ScubaPro Go Set
R1 395, scuba.co.za This is Scuba’s best-selling snorkelling set and is aimed at travellers. The mask fits most faces and I found the small mouthpiece more comfortable than many others I’ve tried in the past. The fins float, are designed for bare feet and the whole kit is compact enough to travel in your luggage.
16. SEA Vision Full Face Snorkelling Mask
R799, scuba.co.za
It felt a bit odd wearing this initially, but I quickly got used to it and the Darth Vader-like breathing sounds I was making.
The mask and snorkel are one piece which makes things much simpler. I found it more comfortable than traditional ones, and my peripheral vision was slightly improved. It’s designed for snorkelling on tahedsvurefancetuanrde racers just below. You canR’5t4re9a,ctrhavyeorusregear.co.za nose to equalise aTnhdeifLyifoeusydsotems Light and Dry dive below one meNtaren,owkaittewras designed with leaks in. racing events in mind, aiming to help treat minor athletic ailments
17. Sunflex Beach Bats
R220, capeunionmart.co.za Made from neoprene, these bats feel like tiny trampolines attached to handles. They’re tricky to play with in that if the ball hits the rim it goes nowhere – you’re effectively playing with a surface area similar to a table-tennis bat. The bats are waterproof and come in nice colours, though.