The difference between a great coastal day and a miserable one is usually what you remembered to pack. Tick your activities and season — the list builds itself.
The always-on essentials cover what almost every coastal trip needs. Tick your activities and a season, and the list grows with the gear that actually matters — reef shoes for tidepooling, a dry bag for cameras, and so on. Ticked items persist in your browser so you can come back and finish packing.
A printed copy of your route and emergency contact (phones die), more water than you think you need, and layers — the coast is windier and colder than the car park. And a warm hat: most body heat escapes from the head on a breezy shore.