Okay let me walk you through exactly how I tested all this beach tennis gear last weekend. Woke up crazy early Saturday buzzing to finally try out three new rackets I’d been eyeballing online.
Packing Chaos & First Impressions
Dug through my closet like a madwoman trying to find all my active swimwear. Grabbed four different bikini sets and that leopard print one-piece that sucks everything in. Tossed them all into my beach bag along with towels, sunscreen (super important!), and tons of water.
Met my buddies down at the shore around 8 AM before the real heat hit. First thing? Unzipped the racket bags right there on the sand. That cheap bright pink one felt like holding a toy – flimsy plastic, strings felt loose already. Total garbage. Next, this sleek black pro-style racket looked killer but man, swinging it felt like waving a brick around. Arm got tired fast. The third one? Perfect middle ground. Solid feel without being heavy, easy grip, nice pop when the ball hit.
The Swimwear Test Run
Changed behind my towel right on the beach – classic beach tennis struggle! First bikini looked cute but disaster struck when I lunged for a low shot. Top almost came clean off! Embarrassing scramble. Switched to the high-neck sporty top & shorts combo. Stayed put, felt secure, but trapped SO much sand in the lining, itchy nightmare by game three.
Winner? Shockingly, that tight leopard one-piece. Did a crazy dive for a drop shot expecting a wardrobe malfunction… nothing budged. Stuck to me like glue, dried fast, and honestly? Got way more compliments than expected. Who knew? My main takeaway for swimwear? Prioritize function over looks. Almost flashed everyone twice chasing tricky shots.
Sunglasses & The Sun Factor
Forgot my regular sport shades, so grabbed my cheap mirrored ones. Big mistake. Sweat dripping down my face, sunglasses sliding off my nose constantly. Had to adjust them between every single point. Super annoying. Lesson learned: grippy nose pads are essential if you’re actually playing seriously.
By midday, that sun was brutal. Re-applied SPF50 like crazy, but still ended up with slightly pink shoulders. Hydration was key – we went through two big coolers of water.
Final Thoughts After Playing
After four sweaty hours swapping gear:
- That middle-weight racket? Absolutely buying a second one. Totally worth the price.
- The cheap racket? Left it buried in the sand. Literal trash.
- Performance swimwear? Non-negotiable. Secure fit > everything else. That one-piece saved the day.
- Secure, sport-specific sunglasses? Adding them to my mandatory gear list ASAP.
Totally wrecked, covered in salt and sand, slightly sun-kissed… and completely hooked. Best beach day in ages. Gear makes ALL the difference. Pack smart, test beforehand, and maybe bring backup tops! We laughed so hard we nearly choked on our sandy post-game beers.