5 great gadgets to use at the beach

Taking electrical equipment to the beach used to be a recipe disaster, however, thanks to a new wave of gadgets and ingenious protective cases keeping yourself entertained by the sea has never been easier.

Check out these 5 great devices to ensure you have fun in the sun…

Amazon Kindle

From Tolstoy to Tolkien, Shakespeare to Dr. Seuss, as Amazon’s Kindle adverts constantly remind us, having your entire digital library available at the touch of a button means the days of picking a solitary read for the beach are long gone.

The e-book reader revolution has been in full flow for a couple of years now, but with handheld devices getting smaller and functionality improving, they really have become a staple part of the bookworm’s diet.

While sand still poses something of a risk, a carefully chosen cover should help minimise the threat of wrecking your device even if the kids are going wild all around you.

Oregon UV monitor

One of the best ways to have a great time at the beach is to ensure you’re not in excruciating pain thanks to horrific sun urn. Admittedly, it’s very easy to lose track of time while you’re dozing on the beach, but that’s where the Oregon UV Monitor comes in handy.

Strap the meter to your wrist and the gadget tracks exposure to UV rays, even taking into account your skin type. It has alarms to signal when you've been out of the shade too long, and even functions as a clock and stop watch.

Grace Digital Audio Eco Extreme Waterproof Case

So you fancy listening to some tunes while you sunbathe, but don’t want to risk exposing your iPhone to sand and water? It sounds like you need the Grace Digital Audio Eco Extreme Waterproof Case. Rugged and waterproof its rubberized external body means that even if you drop it, your phone or iPod will be protected.

Platformed feet allow users to stand the device vertically, a handy caribiner makes attaching it to a backpack very easy and there’s enough room to also store your keys. Powered by 3 AA batteries, you can expect around 30 hrs of battery life using an average volume. It really is a full-proof solution.

Metal detecting sandals

If you think beaches are for discovering lost treasure and not for mindlessly lying in the sun, then you might be the type to try a pair of metal detecting sandals. That’s right, they do exactly as they say on the tin – pun intended!

The right sandal connects to a removable battery pack that’s strapped to your calf and a coil in the sandals does the rest. Using just a single 9V battery, you’ll be good for six hours worth of beach strolling, with any metal objects within a depth of 2 feet, supposedly detectable. Notification of any finds is threefold with a light, vibration and buzzing noise – booty-ful.

Liquid Image Explorer Series 8.0MP Underwater Digital Camera Mask

While waterproof cameras are nothing new, the Liquid Image Underwater Digital Camera Mask takes things to another level. Rather than faffing around turning on a handheld device, pointing it in the direction of some fancy fish and pressing the button just as they’ve disappeared, the integrated 8MP camera sits right above the goggles so that what you see is what you shoot, whether that be photos or video footage.

Working at depths of up to 15 feet, it has 16 MB of integrated memory for storing photos, incorporates a microSD card port and can be connected to a PC via USB cable. Never again should Flipper (or Jaws) get the better of you…in the photo stakes at least.

Can you recommend any other gadgets for beach use? Have you had any water-related gadget disasters? What's the best gadget on the market at the moment? Let us know in the comment section below.

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