Although the northern hemisphere summer is coming to an end, we can still sneak in a few more relaxing beach days before autumn sets in. August 30th is “National Beach Day” and gives us an excuse to celebrate the salty air and ocean breeze before it is time again for wetsuits and winter warmers.
About National Beach Day
National Beach Day was founded by Colleen Paige, who was responsible for initiating other holidays, including National Dog Day, National Cat Day, National Puppy Day and many more.
Background from NationalBeachDay.com, the official website:
“Colleen founded National Beach Day in 2014 to celebrate the place she spent most of her childhood…summer days in sunny Southern California. Coming across a baby Pelican one day in 2009 that was starving to death because of fishing line wrapped around it’s wing and beak, after she freed the bird of its death trap, she knew she needed to create a day that helped to highlight the plight of sea birds and ocean mammals due to the deadly trash left on beaches around the globe. Colleen is urging everyone who loves their beach to plan a beach bbq clean-up on August 30th and tag your photos with #nationalbeachday.
From National Today, the directory of national days:
“Everyone loves a good day at the beach, right? Celebrate your affinity for the coast on August 30, National Beach Day. Started in 2014, this holiday raises our awareness of the beauty of beaches while also calling attention to keeping them clean and safe.
Here’s how you can help: after enjoying the beach, leave nothing behind. Keep animals from getting trapped or tangled in trash, on land and in the water. So, swim, dive, surf, and take in the world’s aquatic playgrounds. Just remember to do your part to protect one of our most cherished natural resources — our beaches.”
Things to do on National Beach Day
- Walk on the beach.
- Support a local surf shop.
- Support a surf charity.
- Take part in a beach clean up.
- Buy some surf art for your home.
- Plan your next surf trip.
- Read a surf book. We recommend Barbarian Days by William Finnegan.
But what about World Beach Day?
Confusingly, in addition to National Beach Day, there is a World Beach Day on 1 September. National and World Beach Day are not linked. In fact, it seems there may be a little animosity between the two initiatives. World Beach Day appears to have been created first, in 2010 by Patti Jewel. However, on the National Beach Day website it says, “This day, sadly, is being claimed by others who are promoting it for personal gain. This is and has been the first and only Beach Day of its kind, as noted in popular holiday websites, calendars and news articles since 2014. Beware of fakes.“
Let the battle of the beaches proceed! Or maybe we should just consider them a two day holiday and work together.
What about International Surfing Day?
Okay, okay – there are a lot of days. We covered some things to do here.
The Benefits of Going to the Beach
To truly hone in on these last few weeks of summer, we wanted to share a few stats from REEF’s recent “Beach Brain” study conducted by OnePoll that prove the sights and sounds at sea provide the ultimate sanctuary for so many.
The survey reveals:
Don’t Worry, Beach Happy.
3 in 4 Americans reveal that the beach is the place they’d go to alleviate stress. Once at the beach, 4 in 5 people admit they are in a better mood.
The Perfect Beach Day.
For a day well spent, more than half of respondents said they prefer to take a leisurely walk along the shore (53%), with activities like listening to the waves crash (47%) and jamming to music (46%) close behind.
Would You Rather: Coffee vs. the Beach.
The beach is such a good mood-boost that more than half of Americans (54%) said they would rather give up coffee all summer if it meant being able to go to the beach.
Beach Trip Essentials.
When heading to the beach, Americans have certain essentials they wouldn’t dare leave the house without: sunglasses (57%) and a beach towel (%57) both steal the number one spot in the beach bag. People also make sure to check sunscreen (56%) and of course, their sandals or flip-flops (49%) off the packing list.
Battle of the Sexes.
How men and women perceive their beach experience differs, though. While both genders agree family beaches are the most preferred (28 percent for men and 29 percent for women), a very close second is a “party beach” for men (26 percent) and an empty beach for women (27 percent).
Get to the beach in style
With that said, we’d love to show you the best transitional sandals and flip flops from REEF that’ll take you from the beach to any fall-filled adventures. Savour the feeling of sand between your toes as temps drop with the help of our favorite beach-bound styles below! Maybe even text message someone with the new flip flop emoji.
Escape Mule ($52) – Equipped with a super soft cushion footbed, a high density outsole with Swellular traction and espadrille detailing, these will undoubtedly become your go-to shoe for any occasion.
See also
Cushion Sol ($50) – Channel your inner trendsetter. These chic sandals feature a diagonal T-strap made of super soft unlined vegan leather and a durable rubber outsole for all-day support.
Cushion Lux ($65) – The epitome of blending luxury with comfort. Revel in the cozy feel of fall seamlessly combined with the sensation of summer bliss.
Fanning ($60) – Always be the life of the party with these iconic bottle-opening sandals. No matter where you are (the shore or not) – be prepared to crack a cold one for you and all your pals.
