Beach Volleyballs 

Much like your regular volley balls, only marketed differently. And you might 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. They go great with an equally cool with a pair of crazy patterned boardshorts !

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).

Regular Kites 

These are the classic kites with the long winding tails. You can find plenty of fun designs for your kids, like sharks, birds, dragons, butterflies, you name it.

Stunt Kites 

Stunt kites are really cool. Many of them have a complicated wire frame and two handles, that you tug on depending on which direction you want it to turn. If you get good at it you can make it do all sorts of backwards and forwards flips and figure eights. You'll be surprised by the huge crowd you can draw that just want to watch.

Irregular-shaped Kites 

These are the kites that are often shaped in triangular or parallelogram-type shapes. They're easier to handle than the stunt kites and are wonderful for children because they still tumble and dance in the air when you pull on the string.

Kite Accessories 

Kites have accessories too, and they're not just the bows you tie on the tail. If you're anything like Charlie Brown then you may faced the infamous and quite sinister 'kite eating tree.' That thing has a nasty smirk and sharp teeth and it likes to break your kite's frame. Thankfully you can buy a repair kit. Those sometimes include cloth adhesive patches, repair tape and replacement parts like sleeves and frame pieces. You can also buy new spools of strings. If you prefer something more stable and easier to hold than a spool, you can get handles that are more comfortable that connect to the kite's string.

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.

Women's Swimsuits

Whether its the one-piece  that does it for you or the bikini , our guide has got you covered.

Men's Beachwear

Board shorts  or swim trunks ?  Either works great with a game in the sand. You could also wear a tee  so you don't burn in the sun or longer shorts, like walkshorts .

Sun Protection

We all know the damaging effects of the sun, so lather up with a good protective sunscreen .

Flip Flops

You don't want your toes to burn on that walk from your beach chair  to the volleyball net !

Water Skis

Surfing and Bodyboarding

Windsurfing and Kiteboarding

Water Toys