Feet- Play every weekend for an entire summer without any feet protection and you will have come around to what it takes. So what normally what happens from a summer of beach volleyball is your feet develop calluses that end of protecting your feet like a pair of sand socks or aqua shoes. The sands temperatures have been known to eat through normal cotton socks. It is because of the heat and the sand make a tough combination on your standard sock.
Ankles- This all depends on how strong your ankles are after years of jumping and cutting, you may need some addition ankle support in the form of an ankle brace. I have used ones that are easy to put on and off with Velcro, which in turns only offer a medium to low-level stability. I have also used supports that were much stiffer that used a combination of Velcro and laces to give a much higher level of stability, but allowed less movement. Either way you will have to continuously invest in these braces if you need them since the wear and tear of the sand shorten the life expectancy.
Knees- Beach Volleyball is one of those high impact sports that can take a toll on your knees. When the sport played over time can have an effect on your knees even though it's played on the sand. Although the softer landing surface can extend the careers of some players it also hampers mobility. Having a knee brace(s) can help with the impact of landing awkwardly in the sand, which is very easy to do given that the surface of a beach v-ball court is uneven and soft.
Waist- For men a good pair of shorts can truly help with your mobility. Some men prefer board shorts and others like a looser fitting pair. Regardless of preference you need should be comfortable enough to do yoga in them. What I mean by that is that you want to me able to move in way that you are unencumbered by the shorts you are wearing. Also having a net lining helps let sand escape pockets and other hard to reach areas.
For women a sport bikini or beach volleyball bathing suit is usually preferred. Either usually covers everything that needs should be covered while allowing full comfort and mobility. Other women will go with pair of volleyball spandex and shorts for their apparel of choice.
Chest and Torso- Beach Volleyball Women tend to wear a sport bathing suit top or a volleyball bikini top that is secure and allows for full range of movement. Some women are known to wear tank tops as well.
Male Beach Volleyball players will usually sport no shirt, a tank top, or a t-shirt. If you decide to wear something over your torso, a material that will breathe is highly suggested because of the temperatures that often build up while being on the sand of a beach volleyball court.
Eyes and Face- If, you do not use sunscreen at the very least put it on your face. Not only will it protect you from the harmful UV rays but will lessen the contrast when you get those "Raccoon Eyes" that the pros get after a long day of being between the beach volleyball lines. It's basically what a sunglasses tan line looks like.
Head- Name it and beach volleyball players will wear it on their heads. They are often seen with baseball caps, visors, and headbands. I have been to a few tournaments where I have seen some men wear some interesting wigs while playing. There are also some very distinct over sized brimmed visors that are starting to make resurgence from the early 1990's.
Most beach volleyball equipment and apparel is a preference thing. The main thing is individual players needs require testing and more testing to get a good feel for your own personal beach volleyball set up.
Ankles- This all depends on how strong your ankles are after years of jumping and cutting, you may need some addition ankle support in the form of an ankle brace. I have used ones that are easy to put on and off with Velcro, which in turns only offer a medium to low-level stability. I have also used supports that were much stiffer that used a combination of Velcro and laces to give a much higher level of stability, but allowed less movement. Either way you will have to continuously invest in these braces if you need them since the wear and tear of the sand shorten the life expectancy.
Knees- Beach Volleyball is one of those high impact sports that can take a toll on your knees. When the sport played over time can have an effect on your knees even though it's played on the sand. Although the softer landing surface can extend the careers of some players it also hampers mobility. Having a knee brace(s) can help with the impact of landing awkwardly in the sand, which is very easy to do given that the surface of a beach v-ball court is uneven and soft.
Waist- For men a good pair of shorts can truly help with your mobility. Some men prefer board shorts and others like a looser fitting pair. Regardless of preference you need should be comfortable enough to do yoga in them. What I mean by that is that you want to me able to move in way that you are unencumbered by the shorts you are wearing. Also having a net lining helps let sand escape pockets and other hard to reach areas.
For women a sport bikini or beach volleyball bathing suit is usually preferred. Either usually covers everything that needs should be covered while allowing full comfort and mobility. Other women will go with pair of volleyball spandex and shorts for their apparel of choice.
Chest and Torso- Beach Volleyball Women tend to wear a sport bathing suit top or a volleyball bikini top that is secure and allows for full range of movement. Some women are known to wear tank tops as well.
Male Beach Volleyball players will usually sport no shirt, a tank top, or a t-shirt. If you decide to wear something over your torso, a material that will breathe is highly suggested because of the temperatures that often build up while being on the sand of a beach volleyball court.
Eyes and Face- If, you do not use sunscreen at the very least put it on your face. Not only will it protect you from the harmful UV rays but will lessen the contrast when you get those "Raccoon Eyes" that the pros get after a long day of being between the beach volleyball lines. It's basically what a sunglasses tan line looks like.
Head- Name it and beach volleyball players will wear it on their heads. They are often seen with baseball caps, visors, and headbands. I have been to a few tournaments where I have seen some men wear some interesting wigs while playing. There are also some very distinct over sized brimmed visors that are starting to make resurgence from the early 1990's.
Most beach volleyball equipment and apparel is a preference thing. The main thing is individual players needs require testing and more testing to get a good feel for your own personal beach volleyball set up.
