Beach Games

Swimsuit? Check. Towels? Check. Cooler? Check. Shuttlecocks, paddles, hacky sack and frisbee? Get on that. There is, the highest scholars of the land will tell you, no greater physical pleasure than a swim in the sea and a gulp from a Gatorade (or a bottle of water or a beer or a soda) after the absolutely liberating exertions of a good-spirited beach game.

Beach Volleyball

On the beach, volleyball is faster, dirtier, nastier. And yet it's also well respected. Other beach games may have rules and associations, even video games (see Beach Soccer ), but no other sand recreation outside your golf game has been so gloriously elevated to sport. Olympic recognition and Gabrielle Reese can do that. Still, whether you plan to join a league or just get some friends together for some goofing around, take a look at the gear.

Beach Volleyballs  Much like your regular balls, only marketed differently. And you many indeed want a ball with some more character, like the one pictured above. Professional balls are a separate matter. Check out the Olympic  model.	Nets  Easy set-up and take-down are the orders of the day. More organized playing requires sturdier poles; a casual game needs two trees, Tiki torches, whatever you can get your hands on.	Sunglasses Don't let the sun interfere with your spike and look cool in the process. Sport sunglasses are darker than your standard pair, cover more and wrap around the ears so as to not fall off in mid-action.	Video Games?!  Whether you're too lazy to even go to the beach or are freezing in sunny Albany, these games can help your California dreamin': Dead or Alive: Xtreme Beach Volleyball  (Xbox) and Summer Heat Beach Volleyball  (Playstation 2).

Classic Games & Recreation

Smashball  Known by many names -- including paddleball  for two -- this is the quintessential beach game. And, like most beach games, it lends itself to whatever rules you want to dream up, or simply to a quick game of keeping the ball in the air. There are also official guidelines, if you want to look them up. It's the beach, have fun and do what you will.	Frisbee  Beach Ultimate Frisbee is an un-officiated team sport needing only a frisbee and some lines in the sand. Scoring is like football (without the tackling), movement is like basketball (without the dribbling). But frisbee can also be a catch between friends, human or canine. Want something different, maybe more difficult? Go the Aussie route with a boomerang.	Horseshoes  It never does get old. Some sets these days are sold specifically for beach use, but the ones you have in the backyard will serve just fine. For another twist on throwing things at a same target, go for the also-legendary bocce  ball (note: balls don't roll as well on sand -- grass is the better venue for this).	Rugby Whether you're a devotee or not -- heck, even if you've never played the game before, the (more) forgiving sands of your favorite beach and the cool healing of an after-game dip in the sea provide the ideal setting for this rough-and-tumble "hooligan's sport." And you don't have to wear the preppy shirt.

Hacky Sack One has to imagine Mr. Rogers was or would have been a big fan of the hacky sack. That's meant in a good way: It's an old-fashioned but oddly entertaining game, one which requires some patience and a very playful spirit. After all, you're just kicking a sack in the air and hoping it doesn't hit the sand. Read all about the game here.	Nerf  Not a game. It's a brand, actually. But the foam toys synonymous with the short, jocular name make for playing that's safe, friendly, and easy for both kids and the non-athletic, while giving the more action-crazed some much-loved whiz. Nerf balls, especially the footballs, are easily caught and won't break any noses. Yet they're also fast and fly high.	Soccer Bring your soccer ball for a chaotic, fun-filled romp. It'll look like a sandstorm with all the fuss you'll be kicking up. Or, bring a football or baseball, tennis ball, handball if you're adventurous. Anything you can throw around can be turned into some sort of game and other beachgoers are bound to join in. Just be sure you're willing to lose that MLB ball to the depths of the ocean.	Badminton Along with smashball and volleyball, the shuttlecock game is a staple of the beach outing. Companies take advantage and sell beach-specific equipment. If this guide teaches you nothing else, let it be that on the sands, under the sun, anything goes. That is, don't waste your money in a tourist trap on ostentatiously more appropriate equipment, when any set, the cheapest included, will more than suffice.

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