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Summer weather is shining down, and is there anything more San Diego than a trip to the beach?
Our answer to that is yes: You can add some San Diego style to your outing by buying all of your essentials from locally-based brands — from sunscreen to swimwear. So we’re diving into 15 companies that make beach essentials you need for a trip to the Pacific — and you know they’re so cool because they’re based in SoCal.
🧴 Sunscreen
- Carlsbad-based COOLA offers a range of skin products to let you have fun + prevent damage. Its sister company Bare Republic has a full line of suncare products made from clean ingredients.
- Amavara uses a non-nano zinc oxide formula in its sunscreen, and was founded by a beach-loving San Diego native who wanted a safe + environmentally-friendly form of sun protection.
- San Diego-based YeahBah was founded by surfers, and makes sunscreen that’s safe for children and the Earth’s reefs.
🩱 Swimwear
- Get ready to get wet — or sandy — in a bikini from Midori. The locally-founded brand specializes in two-piece swimwear that’s eco-friendly and SPF 50+.
- Even though it’s summer, it still gets cold in the ocean. Driftline is a brand founded by San Diego surfers that makes board shorts with a wet suit liner — and the founders appeared on “Shark Tank” this year.
- Activewear brand Vuori was founded in Encinitas, and makes apparel suited for sand, land, and surf — including men’s + women’s swimwear. You can also find towels and hats to make your beach trip more comfortable.
☁️ Towels
- Locally-founded Sand Cloud makes super soft, sand-resistant beach blankets + towels made from Turkish cotton. The brand is from San Diego, so it knows our beaches and donates 10% of profits to organizations supporting marine conservation efforts.
Hats off to our local brands. | Photo via @everydaycalifornia
🩳 Clothing + hats
- When looking for beach essentials, Everyday California has you covered. The La Jolla-based brand started as a kayak rental shop, but turned into a clothing brand where you can get shirts, hats, swimwear, or sunscreen.
- If you’re looking to keep the sun out, but the fun in, locally-based Hemlock Hat Co. makes large straw hats with lots of color + personality under the brim.
- As its name implies, San Diego Hat Company is locally-based — in Carlsbad, to be exact. It sells hats for any occasion — especially those sunny beach days.
🩴 Sandals
- Reef started out selling sandals, but now you can find a full line of beach-ready footwear + apparel from the Carlsbad-based brand.
- If you decide to hit the road and head up north, Rainbow Sandals operates out of our neighboring City of San Clemente, where you’ll find its retail outlet.
🕶️ Sunglasses
- In true San Diego fashion, this Blenders Eyewear makes sunglasses that add a pop of color to your beach day. You can pick up a pair at its Pacific Beach headquarters, and you’ll find glasses for your favorite activities — or just lounging on the beach.
- Knockaround Sunglasses was founded by an art student during his time at UC San Diego. The locally-based company merges East Coast style with a laid-back SoCal feel, or you can create a custom pair to suit your own style.
- When you’re off work and on the beach, 9FIVE Eyewear makes luxury shades to keep your eyes protected from the sun. The Barrio Logan-based company can be found online or at its shop at 2163 Logan Ave.