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To explore the seashore doesn’t require much equipment. Admittedly you will need to give a little thought to what you take with you, but the good news is that most of it can be improvised and made at home.

Big stick Acts as an extra leg, which is very useful for prevent you from ending in the drink and, as an added bonus, useful for lifting up curtains of weed.

Binoculars Not essential, but there is usually something to see out at sea. It may be some terns fishing, a passing seal, dolphin or even a basking shark!

Burrow box (see page 44) A home-made tank that allows you to watch burrowing creatures in action. A smaller one works well for looking at smaller water creatures, especially in conjunction with a magnifying lens.

Clear plastic robust pots I find these useful when collecting frail and brittle specimens such as delicate shells, skate and ray egg cases, and sea urchins.

Garden fork A small gardener’s fork is easy to carry around, but if you are going for big worms and doing a lot of under-the-sand investigations then a large fork will be a better bet.

Magnifying lens Useful to any naturalist, anywhere!

Mirror on a stick (see page 13) Handy little home-made device for looking underneath overhangs and ledges without cutting your knees on barnacles or by falling in. A whole new perspective on rock pools!

Nets A good robust net is vital. Forget those flimsy coloured ones stuffed in the end of a bamboo cane found for sale in most beach shacks – they are good for nothing!

Non-slip, free-draining shoes/sandals Stops slippage, barnacle cuts on the toes and saves pain in case of treading on hidden glass or sea urchin spines. And if they drain, they are easily washed and won’t stink the house out.

Plastic tank Forget the traditional plastic bucket. It doesn’t have clear sides and so you can’t see in. Instead, take with you a small clear plastic tank. Now you can see any animals you catch at their level.

Plastic Zip-loc bags Versatile and invaluable, you can put in them everything from pellets and smelly specimens to shells or your lunch.

Small torch Useful for illuminating those dark cracks and crevices in rocks.

Sun block The combination of exposed environments and the way the Sun bounces back off the water is dangerous. You will burn very quickly and easily, so slap it on!

Towel Things do get wet that shouldn’t and that could be you or some equipment. Can also be used as a shade to protect living specimens from the sun.

Back pack To put it all in!