Sydneysiders seeking a patch of sand to call their own at the city’s beaches have to increasingly navigate a sea of hardware.
Gone are the days when the main structures on the beach were sandcastles. In 2023 a packed beach means tents, domes and gazebos along with umbrellas, towels and humans.
It’s not quite bringing Mykonos to Manly - there are no rows of identical pastel-striped umbrellas with white fringing to be hired for a fee - but it’s not a minimalist vibe either.
Nixy Krite has seen beach shelters grow in popularity over her 11 years as a volunteer surf life saver at Bondi, South Maroubra and other Sydney beaches.
Krite said the shelters were popular all over Sydney, especially with people spending a day at the beach, rather than locals who can pop down for a quick swim.
She believes it’s all about sun safety in the hot Australian climate.
Visitors to Bondi Beach bring more than towels and the odd beach umbrella these days.Credit: Oscar Colman
“The ‘slip slop slap’ is definitely a big thing on everyone’s radar now so people are bringing shade to the beach, so they can stay that little bit longer,” Krite says.
“As long as everyone’s responsible with how they’re popping the tents up I think it’s a great addition to our beaches.”
Krite said she had not witnessed any problems with tent ropes causing a trip hazard or high winds sending gear flying, adding that people usually took the umbrellas down in the wind and equipment design was improving all the time.
Gareth Sage from Lindfield has owned a CoolCabanas beach gazebo, an Australian design where the structure is stabilised by sand in the pocket of each leg, for about five years and recently upgraded because of mould issues after Sydney’s wet winter.
“It means you can just spend hours at the beach and sit in the shade and read a book and listen to the cricket and chat with friends, not sit in the sun baking,” he said. “I find umbrellas tend to blow away in the wind, but this doesn’t.”
Sage said there was always a good collection of similar gazebos on the beach at Dee Why, where he usually swam with his wife and daughters, and there was a “plethora in Yamba” where he is on holiday.
On social media, people have been sharing pictures of beaches covered in gazebos from holiday destinations such as Noosa on the Sunshine Coast.
Fiona Sives from Croydon, a mother of two primary school-aged children, said her pop-up tent, which she acquired secondhand for free through Facebook, was a beach essential.
“I absolutely cannot cope with extended direct sunlight on me or I burn to a crisp!” Sives said. “Plus it helps to minimise the sand that gets on me and my stuff.”
Trent Rigby, a co-director at business consultancy Retail Oasis, said there had been huge sales growth in beach equipment - mainly shelters, but also chairs, recliners and trolleys with big wheels to trundle over soft sand.
Rigby said hard sales figures were difficult to obtain because beach gear was usually counted more generally as outdoor equipment, an overall category that had seen enormous growth particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic.
But he said the sector was once dominated by the big box stores such as Bunnings and Kmart competing solely on price. Now other retailers such as Rebel, BCF, The Iconic and Kings had entered the market and people were prepared to spend more money for a quality product that will last.
These days, a few metal detectors, beach tennis and volleyballs and a lot of baby carriages are found on the beach.Credit: Oscar Colman
“A few years ago you only had to walk down to the beach and notice that everyone had generally exactly the same branded beach equipment and accessories, but we’re seeing this start to change,” Rigby said.
He predicted beach equipment would continue to sell well this year because of cost-of-living pressures, with the beach considered a cost-effective activity for families.
The Morning Edition newsletter is our guide to the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up here.