TALLAHASSEE, Florida — It was on a chilly, predawn morning in Huntsville, Alabama, of all places, where I felt the first lovely tingles of Christmas season being upon us.

I was at the AVCA Beach National Championships, both as a coach for Florida State and a commentator for VolleyballTV, and, per usual, I was up on a morning coffee walk. This walk found me at a Starbucks where, for the first time since last winter, Christmas music was being played, and the signature holiday Starbucks cups were being filled with enough caffeine to power me through a day of coaching and seven matches on the mic.

I smiled the whole way back, giddy as ever.

CHRISTMAS IS BACK, BABY.

As has become tradition, dating back to my 2022 and 2023 columns for VolleyballMag.com, I have compiled what I figure to be the ultimate Beach Volleyball Gift Guide, breaking down everything from the best sunglasses to the best beach volleyballs, radios, water bottles, warm up bands, recovery tools, board shorts, sand socks, and everything else you might need, from pumps to bags. If we missed a category for which you’d like our recommendation, please let me know in the comments, or just message me on Instagram (@trammew), and I’ll happily add it.

Without further adieu, enjoy our Ultimate Beach Volleyball Gift Guide.

Best Sunglasses for beach volleyball

Roka continues its tour de force as my No. 1 for three straight years. I’ve tried every type on the market, and Roka is still No. 1. The SR-1X is my favorite model — lightweight, not too garish, functional, with the same lightweight frames that keep blockers from getting too cut up when smashed in the face (or defenders when you get blown up as well). The lenses are difficult to scratch, and they’re durable, as they should be with that price tag. Roka’s been my favorite brand since they sponsored p1440 in 2018. A half-decade of dominance for me.

BONUS: Roka also makes prescription sunglasses. Lee Feinswog, the editor of this website, called me one day to ask if there were any companies who make prescription sunglasses for sports. I immediately sent him to Roka, and now we have another Roka loyalist in his wife, Brenda, an outstanding pickleball player.

A new add to the crew! Tri Bourne is sponsored by 100 percent, and he passed a pair of shades off to me, and, to my own surprise, I absolutely love them. I didn’t expect to, to tell you the truth, but the lenses are clear, difficult to scratch, and surprisingly light. I’d put these above Oakley, which is why 100 Percent has come in at my No. 2 this year.

Oakley is still the name brand in sunglasses. It’s sort of like the Colgate commercial, where 9 out of 10 dentists recommend Colgate; roughly 9 out of 10 beach volleyball players would recommend Oakley, too. You cannot go wrong with Oakley, especially with the Radar EV Path, which comes in a variety of sweet colors and designs. Rich Lambourne hooked me up with a pair of these this year, and I managed to grab a pair from Florida State as well, so I’m stocked with Oakleys and, given that extensive experience, can reliably recommend.

Blenders continues to make a huge push in this space. Sparked by the media savvy of Deion Sanders, every beach I go to now has more Blenders than arguably any other brand I see, even Oakleys. I still have yet to wear a pair, so I can’t give a personal testimonial, but it’s hard to argue with the sheer volume of people wearing them.

Best radio for beach volleyball

No practices without music is a firm rule of mine. Radios are an absolute must. We have a massive one at FSU, which I wouldn’t recommend for the average individual bringing a portable one to the beach, so below are my recommends.

Good sound, good price, good brand, good reviews, durable — can’t go wrong with any in the JBL Flip series. I’ve had a few (I lose things) and can veritably say: This one is a winner.

It’s more expensive, sure, but Bose is a reliable brand in this space. Plus, it’s Amazon’s choice in the portable outdoor speaker category, and I trust that kind of social proofing.

Best workout bands for beach volleyball players

You will not attend a single beach volleyball tournament without seeing players warming up, legs tethered together by a plethora of colorful mini bands. Literally everyone uses them, and for good reason: They’re phenomenal for warm-ups and activating the muscles, both on the beach and in the sand. Perform Better is the only brand I buy. I’ve accidentally bought Fit Simplify before, which is also a common brand, but they’re just not as good: The resistance isn’t much, even for the strongest bands, and they’re too wide to provide resistance in certain positions. Fit Simplify is good enough. Â if you didn’t know any better, but because of this Ultimate Beach Volleyball Gift Guide, you do know better! And Perform Better is the only way to go.

Best board shorts for beach volleyball players

My boy Chris Reames has created a legitimate cult, in a good kind of way, in volleyball. Not just beach anymore, either, but indoor. Custom Slunks are all the rage, and you should see the prices they’re fetching on the secondary market! Goodness gracious gosh alive! Cultishness aside, Slunks has been my favorite brand for years and years: fun designs, four-way stretch on the shorts, and an inseam that lets the quads see the light of day.

Lost Traveler, a bit like Blenders, continues its ascent up the rankings. At first, they were, to me anyway, a cute East Coast boutique board short company, worn by a few, known by less. Now? They’re the shorts being worn by Taylor Crabb. The Bug himself! That’s big company to be in, and it’s no accident. Lost Traveler is legit — I have a few pairs and they are in my starting rotation — and it has been fun to see them become contenders in the board short space.

Best sand socks for beach volleyball players

Per usual, my caveat: TuffSox absolutely suck to put on. They’re the worst. Budget in 20 minutes to slip them on each individual toe. But once you go through the pain of getting them on? They have no peers in the sand sock space. They’re the best, without question, living up to their name as Tuff, as I have yet to burn or wear through a single pair.

These are the sand socks that will get the job done, period. Similar to how a Top Flite golf ball will get you through a round of golf, these socks won’t let your feet get blistered. Are they as good as TuffSox? No, but they’re fine. They work. They’ll suffice for the few times per year you’ll need them.

Best recovery tools for beach volleyball players

The absolute best way to make watching NFL and college football and Netflix or just cozying up with a book and some hot chocolate a legitimately productive endeavor: Hop in the Puffy Pants, as my trainer, Nathan Michaels, calls them, and let them get to work. These are, honestly, so awesome. A massage for your legs in the comfort of your own home, whenever you need them.

This remains, to me, the best recovery tool on the market: effective at loosening up your muscles before play, helping them cool down afterwards, and breaking them up when you’re tight and sore. I’ll go through an entire battery charge’s worth of Hypervolt during a longer day at a tournament — as I did at the Hermosa Open this September — charge it up, and then go through another full charge the next Sunday watching football or listening to podcasts (which I also did). This is an absolute must-have.

Both of the above “recovery ball” options are very similar. I don’t actually own either, but I’ve used both, and people swear by the Peanut, which is excellent for rolling out your feet, hands, forearms, and psoas. Tim Ferriss swears by the Rubz Ball, which is good for your feet and forearms as well, and if he swears by it, it’s gotta be good for something.

Best books on beach volleyball

I’d describe all of these books, but they all have descriptions of their own on Amazon, which I’ve linked to for each. Obviously, I’d love it if you bought any of my four on this list — or all of them! — but I’ve also vetted every book below, and can vouch for their quality.

If you’re looking for a fun read, any of my four, and Ryan Doherty’s, will do.

If you want your kid to have a fun read, Volleyball for Milkshakes is an easy one (also a fun one for adults; it made Kent Steffes cry!).

For coaching, training, and mindset advice, Billy Allen and John Mayer’s Coach Your Brains Out and Aaron Wexler’s Inspired Athlete are the way to go.

For a fun history on Misty May, as well as some fine writing — she paired with a former Sports Illustrated writer when Sports Illustrated was still king — Misty’s book will do the trick.

I cheated a bit with If Gold is our Destiny, since that’s not beach, but you’ll notice a bunch of beach names in there, and the 1984 Olympics were actually a seminal moment in the history of beach volleyball, which you’ll note if you pair that book with Kings of Summer.

For anything you’d want, my book with Tri Bourne, Playbook of Champions, whittles down 6 years of podcasting wisdom, from all of our guests, in a Tools of Titans style encyclopedia that has become something of a collector’s item.

Best Volleyball for Beach Volleyball 

Best ball in the sport, period.

Transparency note: I’m sponsored by Wilson, so I have a stake in the game here. But my thoughts above are genuine, and if you want an extra bonus, you can use our discount code, SANDCAST-63 to get 20 percent off.

Where Wilson owns the domestic market, Mikasa owns the international. If you want to feel like a Beach Pro Tour player, this is the ball for you.

Best Water Bottles for Beach Volleyball

I’ve used the same 40 ounce Hydroflask for six years. Six years! It’s traveled the world with me and been to legitimately hundreds of beach volleyball tournaments — and it’s as good as ever. Need a cold drink? Hydroflask has got it. Hot drink? got that, too. Best brand in the game.

Best Merch, Apparel for Beach Volleyball

Merch is something that is strangely amiss, for the most part, in our sport. But there are a few outlets you can get some specific merch.

  • SANDCAST Merch
    • SANDCAST Merch, duh! Would LOVE IT if you supported the pod by gifting some of our brand new merch this year.
  • AVP Merchandise 
    • If you want something with an AVP logo, be it a hat, sweatshirt, t-shirt, sweatpants, tank-tops, you name it, this is the place to go. Still don’t have AVP League jerseys though…
  • Volleyball World
    • Custom jerseys, custom balls, sweat shirts, towels, hats, you name it. Recommend.
  • Life is Beachy 
    • A fun little shop on Amazon that Larry Wang, a regular South of The Border vacationer, Laguna Open regular, and all-around All-American man sent me. They have some good stuff in here.
  • Beach Volleyball Merch
    • Want anything Beach Volley Vikings related? How about Swedish Jumpsetters? This is your store. I personally own two items from the Vikings store, and can vouch for the quality

Best Beach Chair

Our two King Camps — black for me, blue for Delaney — are some of the best purchases we’ve made for the beach in the past year or so. These are AWESOME! So comfortable, so durable (I also used mine on an elk hunt in Colorado and it held up just fine), and so easy to transport. They’ll fit easily into the trunk and they’re easy to hold if you’re walking. Easy to pack up and easy to set up. Recommend.

Best Ball Pump for Beach Volleyball

Watching players physically pump up their volleyballs — Wilson volleyballs, please — is akin to watching someone physically roll down a window: You just shouldn’t see it all that often anymore. For one, the pumps where you physically pump break all the time. I don’t know how, but they just do. Second, everyone pumps it to their own personal preference — some come in squishy, some come in pingy, rarely do they get pumped just right. You can solve all of those problems with the Morpilot Electric Pump.

Best Supplements for Beach Volleyball

If you listen to enough SANDCAST, you’ll know that Tri Bourne and I are Athletic Greens junkies. I’ve probably taken Athletic Greens every day for five years in a row. Yes, we’re sponsored by Athletic Greens, but I was drinking this stuff daily well before they paid us to tell people we drink it daily. It’s the best supplement out there, good for travel, and keeps you so healthy. Plus, if you use that link above, you get a free year’s supply of Vitamin D!

I hopped on the LMNT train last year and I’m sold.

I try to get as much of my calories and protein from whole foods, but sometimes you have to supplement. My trainer recommended Dymatize, which is a blend of clean ingredients and affordability.

Addy Mae photo

Other trinkets, gifts, and stocking stuffers for beach volleyball

Tired of your husband dragging sand onto your tile floors and never sweeping? (Delaney knows nothing of this…) Save yourself some trouble and get a sand brush, keep it by your front door, and voila, no more — or at least less — sand in the house.

Best in the business right here. High quality, durable, and easy to set up without falling down all the time.

These come highly recommended by readers and listeners of SANDCAST. I pretty much only use whatever towels the AVP gives us at events, but evidently the Sand Cloud Towels are awesome.

If you want to watch international beach volleyball, you have to subscribe to Volleyball TV. I’m biased, because I commentate for Volleyball TV, but it’s an excellent product, with a quality stream, coverage of both indoor and beach. You can use our discount code SANDCAST20 (case-sensitive) to get 20 percent off. With the Olympics coming up, you’re not going to want to miss international action.