How To Keep Cool On the Beach A few ideas to stop you turning into a sand blasted, bright red lobster!

Now we all know that every Summer, the weather forecaster tells us not to forget our sunscreen, make sure we wear this and that, and most importantly, keep out of the hot sun. Yeah, right! We suffer through a freezing cold winter, snow up to our eyeballs, frost, rain and just about everything else being thrown at us for months on end, and then the forecast tells us to keep out of the sun? Oh please! As if we would. What do they think we are, stupid? It's the sun, for goodness sake! We want to feel WARM!

So, yes, I am going to lay out in the sun. And I am going to stay there. For hours and hours and hours until, at the end of the day, my body will be a glowing brown sun kissed Goddess, and everybody for miles around will admire me for the beauty I am! So There. And laying on a beach will be even better. Sun, sand and sea. A lovely suntan is on the way.

What do you mean I will look like a sand blasted bright red lobster? Why do you think I will get sunstroke and become angry, pain filled and dangerous? I am not one for stomping around just because I got sun burnt on my legs! What me? Just because I forget to pack enough sunscreen, sit on the beach making sand castles, and paddle up to my knees because I don't want to get my pants wet?! I am a cool in control woman. I Know how to look after myself. I know how to keep myself cool on the beach. Of course I do.

I think. Seriously guys, this is just an example of how people think. We forget that getting too much sun can be dangerous. So take a look below to see how to keep safe from the sun on the beach

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Stay Hydrated

Seriously, having fun is a dangerous business. A hell of a lot of people leave their common sense at home when they go on vacation. They believe that, because it is time for rest and relaxation, everything around them will be safe and protected. So here's a few tips for keeping cool on the beach.

Make sure that you take a cooler and stock up with ice cold water, or you favorite drinks. Add loads of ice to not only chill the drinks but cool yourself down too. Don't take alcohol to a beach. Not only is it illegal in some States or Countries, but it will dehydrate you. Taking a cooler with you, will be more convenient, and will save you loads of money. Being in the sun can make you thirsty within ten minutes. And what's the point in getting comfortable if you have to keep getting up and running to the nearest shop or beach bar for a drink?

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Beach Chair

Most people tend to set up their beach chair or lounger back up on the dunes. But the best place to put it is right at the waters edge. There's nothing worse than deciding to go for a dip in the sea, and having to walk half a mile down to the water, getting covered in sand on the way. It's not too bad on the down trip, but when your feet are lovely and clean, its not much fun having to walk back the same way only to be covered in grainy sand that takes the skin of your toes.

Then, when you eventually get there, you spend ten minutes either wiping the sand away, or trying to find a bucket of water to pour over them. We always forget to take the bucket with us to the water! Another reason for setting up by the water is that you can dangle your feet in the surf. Along with the ocean breeze, you will feel much cooler and more comfortable.

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Beach Umbrella

When you head for the beach, you always presume that you will find a lovely shady spot on a lounger with an umbrella. Wrong! By the time that you get there, all of the best places will have been taken. You see it everytime that you go to the ocean. Hundreds of people keeping cool, and a few poor miserable beings seated on an exposed seat, trying desperately to keep cool. My taking an umbrella with you, it doesn't matter if you end up just laying on your beach towel, or anywhere else. You have a lovely shady spot at your fingertips.

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Cool head Beach Pillows

We all know what's it like. There we are, laying on the sand or lounger, just getting comfortable, and the next thing we notice is that our heads start to become really hot and sweaty. So taking a Cool head Beach Pillow with you is a great idea. It is simply a water filled pillow. And the great thing is that you don't have to take a bulky pillow to the beach. This one folds up. When you get there, all you have to do is walk down to the sea, and fill it up! If you want it to be really cold, just pop it into your cooler for a while. How cool is that? Of course if you forget to take it, just get a beach towel, dip it in the ocean and fold it under your head. If your head is cool, then the rest of you will feel better.

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Sarongs, Scarfs and Caps

A lot of laying about on the beach actually involves moving. Whether to get another drink, go in the ocean, or just chat with your friends. This is the time when you can forget that the suns rays are pretty dangerous. We are careful when sitting in the sun, or heading for the water, but forget about the bits inbetween. You don't want to put on anything heavy, and you certainly don't need to get your day clothes wet or sandy. So a Sarong or tunic that you can just slip on is a must. This will protect you from the sun and keep you cool. Also, a lot of women don't like parading around in just a bikini or costume! Especially if we haven't got that svelt like figure. In other words, most of us! So covering up is just the sensible thing to do

WARNING - A Child's Temperature Can Change Very Quickly and be Fatal.

. If the sun is really hot, a child should always be covered. Either with a cap on their head, or a long T shirt. Sunscreen can only do so much. Where children are concerned, you can never be too careful. A child's temperature is not as stable as an adult. It can change in the blink of an eye. I shudder sometimes when I see a baby or small child running around with hardly anything on, for hours on end. Or a baby left in a buggy on the sand. It makes me want to go up to the mother and shake her.

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Going in the Ocean.

Now I know this is blatantly obvious, but bare with me! If you want to keep cool, jump in the sea! Yep, so far so good! But there is one thing that you had better not forget. Make sure that you wear a strong sunscreen while you are doing it. The suns rays can actually penetrate the water, at least five feet below the surface. So while you are bobbing around showing off your great swim moves, just remember that the sun is burning a hole in your head! Oh, and your shoulders and back etc. And then when you eventually decide that you have had enough of that darn exercise, get out, slap some more suncream on and go and lie down for a well earned rest! having fun can be so exhausting!

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Water Fights! Yeah! And of course that seaside must. The Sunscreen!

If you have children with you, why not take loads of water pistols, balloons, and beach balls? You can fill them with water and have a great time getting everybody soaking wet! Not only will all that lovely water get rid of the sand that has decided to take up residence in you bikini bottoms, Yep I know the feeling! It will also cool you down quickly if you have a sudden heat surge. We sometimes forget that the body can change temperature really quickly. This is how sunstroke can grab you. One minute your are fine, the next, you are being carted off in an ambulance heading for A & E!

And please don't forget the Sunscreen. I know I keep on and on and on...But seriously it is the most, and I mean, most important thing for you to do. Keep splashing it on. It doesn't matter if the children look like white yeti's covered in cream and sand, with a SP level of 50. So what? They have to be protected. And so do you. always make sure that the back of your neck is protected. This part of your body, if burned, can actually kill you. It is the brain stem. Need I say more!

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All it takes is a little common sense.

So, as you can see, my little rant at the beginning about knowing it all, well, proved I didn't know it all! If you take care, you will have a great summer by the ocean. If not, you will end up like a sand blasted bright red lobster. Rather like this photo. I have never seen such sun damage in my life. How this woman could allow herself to get in this state is beyond me. We can't see her face. But that is probably a bonus! By the fact that she has a child with her (The photo is not pixelated, its just protecting the child's identity) it shows that she must be in her 30s or 40s. Unbelievable. And very selfish.

How to keep cool on the beach? Now you know!

Enough said!

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