Even if your vacation home is beachfront (which we STRONGLY suggest), what you tote to the beach and what you do when you get there are critical to your happiness. Depending on your status in life right now (kids [age dependent], no kids) there are various considerations you should make.

1. WEIGHT. If you cannot lift it with one hand (cooler, chair, umbrella, etc.) it’s not worth it. Leave it or rearrange it. Traveling just 50 feet with a cooler that requires both hands, a beach chair (check this one out) slung over your shoulder and an umbrella wedged under your arm, will not make you a happy beach-goer. Beach carts are all the rage – they should be! Very convenient. Just make sure they have oversized wheels.

2. SUN. There can definitely be too much of a good thing when you’re lazing at the beach. Don’t skimp on sun screen. The higher the SPF (Sun Protection Factor) the better if you have the slightest chance of burning. The good news is that you have hundreds of lotions and sprays to choose from. Douglas Wolk’s article at Slate.com will help you decide which one is best for you – and the kids.

3. BICYCLING. What a great way to enjoy the beach! But do it early in the morning or early evening when there are fewer folks. Here’s a great tip. If there’s a beach breeze (and there usually is), make sure the first part of your ride is INTO the wind. It will make the last part of your ride much easier.

4. SAND. We have beautiful sand. Soft and fluffy at the head of the beach; firm from water’s edge up to fluffy stuff. This tip also has to do with the wind. When you shake your towels or blankets out when you’re ready to leave, look down wind first so the sand on your towel doesn’t end up in your neighbor’s mouth.

Follow this link to read about Hilton Head Island’s beach regulations. And have a great time!

If you want to experience a truly “great strand,” Hilton Head Island’s 12 miles of sugar sand beaches are, without question, some of the broadest beaches on America’s East Coast. At low tide they can stretch out to 600 feet.

A few interesting facts. At high tide, and depending on the moon and other factors, the difference between low and high tide is usually six and a half to eight feet. That means that if you were standing at water’s edge at low tide, and remained there through high tide (about 6 hours later), even if you were Houston Rockets' Yao Ming (7' 6"), you would be treading water.

Beaches move, they shrink and grow. To stabilize them, the Town of Hilton Head Island renourishs the beaches with sand brought from off shore in huge pipes. The last renourishment project ended on the early winter of 2007. Over 2.1 million cubic yards of sand were added to parts of the island’s beaches at a cost of $16.6 million.

Who pays for it? Like all rental companies and hotels on Hilton Head, the Vacation Company pays a 2% “beach preservation fee” based on the total gross proceeds our business takes in each year. And you know something, we don’t mind a bit!