Surf’s up! Prepare to hit the beach with these free iPhone apps

The smell of sunscreen, the sun’s relentless heat on my shoulders and the cackle of the seagulls is a surefire reminder that it’s time to hit the beach! I’m getting prepared by whittling my middle, developing healthy habits and scouting the best locations for my summer beach fun. If you love the beach as much as I do, check out some of these iPhone apps to prepare for the impending heat wave. They’re all free!

South Beach Diet (Free)

Whittle that middle so you look spectacular in an itty bitty bikini with the help of the South Beach Diet app. Keep your sugar and carb intake in check with recipes, diet tips, lifestyle advice and healthy cooking tips. The app makes sure you know exactly which foods you can enjoy, and which to avoid, and offers motivation and advice from other dieters. There’s also information on keeping fit and staying healthy, which is crucial when you’re dieting.

Healthy Habits (Free)

A crash diet might get you to the beach quickly but unless you develop healthy habits towards an overall lifestyle change, odds are you will be in the same crash diet phase year after year, every summer. If you want to beat the unhealthy cycle of crash dieting, check out the free Healthy Habits app, which is all about health, happiness and fitness. You know you want to change, so get this happy app and use the free tools to put your healthy habits into action.

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Coppertone MyUVAlert (Free)

One healthy habit that is essential when hitting the beach is protecting the skin you are in with adequate sunscreen. The free Coppertone MyUVAlert app will help you determine the appropriate level of sun protection for the whole family and will give you reminder updates when it is time to reapply the sun block. Most importantly, the app gives you the UV Index for wherever you are and recommends the appropriate sun protection via handy icons like hats, umbrellas and more.

Whole Foods Market Huntington Beach (Free)

If you are lucky enough to live near or visit Huntington Beach, California, this summer, check out the free Whole Foods Market Huntington Beach app. Not only does the app provide you with real-time surf and beach weather reports but also gives you access to weekly savings and the perfect recipes/wine for a beach picnic. Whether you surf the northside or the southside, Whole Foods has your surf spot covered in Huntington Beach, gnarly!

Surfline (Free)

For the rest of the United States, the free Surfline app has you covered. From Orange County to Oahu, this app has thousands of beach locations scouted to bring you surf reports including weather, wind speed, tides and more. Premium members of the app get access to more than 90 live streaming surf cams around the U.S. and Hawaii so you can check out the swells while surfing the channels on your couch as well as access to surf forecasts for up to five days in advance.

Download the free Appolicious iPhone app

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