Pensacola Beach Vacation Tips

Pensacola Beach Vacation Tips | Jennifer Beal Photography

Pensacola Beach Vacation Tips – When you book your Pensacola Beach Vacation, here are some tips that will make your vacation a little sunnier.

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Stock up on Sunscreen

Bring plenty of sunscreen and reapply often. I like to apply sunscreen before leaving my house to be sure it really is ready to block those UV rays by the time I reach the beach. And if you have little kids they will want to play as soon as you reach the water so it’s just easier to have everyone covered up with sunscreen before you leave the house. I reapply every couple of hours and sometimes more often if I’ve been in the water. You can get sunburned even on overcast days so don’t let those clouds lull you into a false sense of not needing to reapply. Don’t worry, you will still get some sun just not so much of those skin cancer causing UV rays.

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Gallon-Sized Ziploc Bags

You never know when gallon-sized Ziploc bags will come in handy. At the beach, they can hold your phone, cash, and keys to keep them from getting wet and sandy. It’s a great place to put your sunscreen so it doesn’t leak all over other things. They can hold your shell collection. They are great for wet swimsuits so they don’t get everything else wet. Just be sure they don’t make it into the water because they could be detrimental to our sea life.

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Flip Flops for Everyone

The sand and pavement are HOT. Make sure everyone has a pair of shoes because no one likes blisters on the bottoms of their feet. A little trick to help with all of the sand stuck on your body is to bring along some baby powder. Baby powder has this amazing ability to wipe that sand right off. We used to bring along a gallon-sized jug of water to pour over our feet too but several of our beaches have showers to make rinsing off before you get into your car easier.

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Food and Water

Remember to bring lots of water to drink and pack lots of snacks. Sun, sand, and swimming make you extra hungry. Fruit is always a delicious treat. Watermelon chunks and frozen grapes are a couple of my favorite beach snacks. It’s always nice to have a cooler of treats available after a few hours on the beach.

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Leave Only Your Footprints

Please don’t disturb the wildlife. You’ll often find sea turtle nests or roped-off sections of beach protecting birds that are important to our ecosystem. You’ll also see signs that ask you to stay off of the sand dunes. If you love our beaches, please help us preserve them for future generations. The last few years I’ve seen a huge increase in holes left on the beach. I know it’s fun to dig a deep hole on the beach but it’s dangerous for sea life and people. Many people stay to see the sunset or walk down the beach after dark looking for crabs. It’s very dangerous for there to be uncovered holes for others to fall into. No one wants to end their beach vacation with a broken leg so please be considerate of others. Fill in your holes when it’s time to leave. Here’s where those gallon-sized Ziplocs come in handy again. Take more trash than you brought with you. Make sure you are leaving no trace.

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Pensacola Beach Vacation Tips – What to Bring

If you have extra swimsuits bring those with you. No one likes wriggling into sandy, wet bathing suits when you decide to go swimming in the pool or take a dip in the hot tub after spending a day at the beach. It’s important to have something to amuse the kids. Sand toys, boogie boards and books will provide amusement for all ages while spending a day in the sun. Sunglass, hats and extra hair ties can be useful too.

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Pensacola Beach Vacation – Safety Tips

Swim near the lifeguards and be aware of the colored flag system. Red flags mean NO SWIMMING. Purple flags mean jellyfish or other stinging marine life is present. Yellow flags mean moderate surf (swim with extra caution). Green flags mean calm surf (swim with usual caution). Click here for more Pensacola Beach laws.

The scariest thing (even scarier than sharks) about swimming at Pensacola Beach is the rip currents. Please educate your family about them. Take a few minutes to google a kid-friendly video about rip currents and share the information with your family before you head to the beach. Everyone needs to know what they are, how to spot them, and what to do if they start to pull you out. Every year there are several drownings. It’s sad news to hear a family vacationing in our area is living through a tragedy that should have been a wonderful memory. Take a few minutes to educate your family about this.

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Pensacola Beach Vacation Tips

I hope you have the best family vacation and make some beautiful memories to cherish forever. If you know of any other tips that would be helpful for families please comment below.

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