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Gen Z trades arcades for paddleboards in ideal beach day, survey suggests
A survey of 2,000 British adults suggests Gen Z's ideal beach day is moving away from arcade games and crazy golf toward paddleboarding and swimming. Traditional seaside pleasures like fish and chips, picnics, and coastal walks remain popular across all age groups.
By Tertius News AI Desk2 distinct · 12 mastheads · 12 articlesVersion 3Coverage Published
distinct = voices after wire copies and reprints of the same article collapse; mastheads = publisher names; articles = URLs
A new survey suggests that the quintessential British seaside day is evolving, with younger generations swapping arcade games and crazy golf for paddleboarding and a proper swim.
The poll of 2,000 adults, cited by the Cambridge Evening News, Cheshire Live, and other outlets, found that 74% of young Britons would bypass arcade games, while 87% would happily avoid crazy golf. In contrast, 11% of Gen Z consider paddleboarding essential to the ideal beach day, compared with 7% of millennials and 3% of Boomers. Furthermore, 38% of Gen Z described paddleboarding as 'essential' to the day, and a similar proportion (38%) said that swimming in the sea is a priority for a beach day, according to the Derby Telegraph, Essexlive, and others.
Yet, the research suggests that many classic seaside traditions remain beloved. Mainstays such as eating fish and chips, enjoying a picnic, and going for coastal walks were still regarded as the finest aspects of the seaside experience for all those surveyed, as reported by the Cambridge Evening News, Cheshire Live, and the Daily Post.
The ideal seaside day
The research, conducted via OnePoll, found that 15 minutes is deemed the optimal duration to spend in the water. Following a dip, many beachgoers enjoy wrapping up in a warm towel (49%) or treating themselves to a hot sweet snack (18%) — a tradition known in Scotland as a 'Shivery Bite,' a term familiar to just 9% of Britons, multiple outlets reported.
For many, snacks are an integral part of the seaside outing. Over two-thirds of those surveyed said snacks are important, with sandwiches and crisps being the most popular items to pack. A hot drink in a flask (26%) and shortbread or biscuits (24%) were also listed as essential picnic items, according to the Daily Express. The same outlet reported that 38% of people visit the coast for its nostalgia, with 48% missing the sense of adventure and freedom from childhood.
Walker's Shortbread, which brought its newly launched Wee Chunkies bites to a seaside pop-up on Brighton beach, brought the 'Shivery Bite' tradition to Bank Holiday beachgoers and swimmers along the seafront.
Blending old and new
Bryony Walker from Walker's Shortbread commented: "While the research shows beachgoers still crave the classic seaside experiences, it's interesting to see what now makes up the ideal day at the beach."
She added: "Activities like paddleboarding are becoming more popular with younger generations, but what remains constant is a dip in the sea. The coast holds special appeal, combining nostalgia, quality family time and the simple joys of a well-packed picnic, fresh air and time outdoors."
How each outlet told it
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A study of 2,000 adults found that 74% of young Britons would bypass arcade games, while 87% would happily avoid crazy golf.
11% of Gen Z consider paddleboarding essential to the ideal beach day, compared with just 7% of millennials and 3% of Boomers.
38% of Gen Z described paddleboarding as 'essential' to the day.
Mainstays such as eating fish and chips, enjoying a picnic and going for coastal walks were still regarded as the finest aspects of the seaside experience for all those surveyed.
Bryony Walker from Walker's Shortbread, which brought its newly launched Wee Chunkies bites to a seaside pop-up on Brighton beach, said: "While the research shows beachgoers still crave the classic seaside experiences, it's interesting to see what now makes up the ideal day at the beach."
The research, carried out via OnePoll, found that 15 minutes is deemed the optimal duration to spend in the water.
Beachgoers relish wrapping up in a warm towel (49%) or treating themselves to a hot sweet snack (18%) — a tradition known in Scotland as a 'Shivery Bite' — a term familiar to just 9% of Britons.
Walker's Shortbread chose to bring the Shivery Bite tradition to Bank Holiday beachgoers and swimmers along Brighton's seafront.
Framing: Highlights Gen Z's shift away from traditional seaside activities like arcade games and crazy golf toward paddleboarding — Curious and promotional
Facts Included:
A study of 2,000 adults found that 74% of young Britons would bypass arcade games, while 87% would happily avoid crazy golf.
11% of Gen Z consider paddleboarding essential to the ideal beach day, compared with just 7% of millennials and 3% of Boomers.
38% of Gen Z described paddleboarding as 'essential' to the day.
Mainstays such as eating fish and chips, enjoying a picnic and going for coastal walks were still regarded as the finest aspects of the seaside experience for all those surveyed.
Bryony Walker from Walker's Shortbread, which brought its newly launched Wee Chunkies bites to a seaside pop-up on Brighton beach, said: "While the research shows beachgoers still crave the classic seaside experiences, it's interesting to see what now makes up the ideal day at the beach."
The research, carried out via OnePoll, found that 15 minutes is deemed the optimal duration to spend in the water.
Beachgoers relish wrapping up in a warm towel (49%) or treating themselves to a hot sweet snack (18%) — a tradition known in Scotland as a 'Shivery Bite' — a term familiar to just 9% of Britons.
Walker's Shortbread chose to bring the Shivery Bite tradition to Bank Holiday beachgoers and swimmers along Brighton's seafront.
A study of 2,000 adults found that 74% of young Britons would bypass arcade games, while 87% would happily avoid crazy golf.
11% of Gen Z consider paddleboarding essential to the ideal beach day, compared with just 7% of millennials and 3% of Boomers.
38% of Gen Z described paddleboarding as 'essential' to the day.
Mainstays such as eating fish and chips, enjoying a picnic and going for coastal walks were still regarded as the finest aspects of the seaside experience for all those surveyed.
Bryony Walker from Walker's Shortbread, which brought its newly launched Wee Chunkies bites to a seaside pop-up on Brighton beach, said: "While the research shows beachgoers still crave the classic seaside experiences, it's interesting to see what now makes up the ideal day at the beach."
The research, carried out via OnePoll, found that 15 minutes is deemed the optimal duration to spend in the water.
Beachgoers relish wrapping up in a warm towel (49%) or treating themselves to a hot sweet snack (18%) — a tradition known in Scotland as a 'Shivery Bite' — a term familiar to just 9% of Britons.
Walker's Shortbread chose to bring the Shivery Bite tradition to Bank Holiday beachgoers and swimmers along Brighton's seafront.
A study of 2,000 adults found that 74% of young Britons would bypass arcade games, while 87% would happily avoid crazy golf.
11% of Gen Z consider paddleboarding essential to the ideal beach day, compared with just 7% of millennials and 3% of Boomers.
38% of Gen Z described paddleboarding as 'essential' to the day.
Mainstays such as eating fish and chips, enjoying a picnic and going for coastal walks were still regarded as the finest aspects of the seaside experience for all those surveyed.
Bryony Walker from Walker's Shortbread, which brought its newly launched Wee Chunkies bites to a seaside pop-up on Brighton beach, said: "While the research shows beachgoers still crave the classic seaside experiences, it's interesting to see what now makes up the ideal day at the beach."
The research, carried out via OnePoll, found that 15 minutes is deemed the optimal duration to spend in the water.
Beachgoers relish wrapping up in a warm towel (49%) or treating themselves to a hot sweet snack (18%) — a tradition known in Scotland as a 'Shivery Bite' — a term familiar to just 9% of Britons.
Walker's Shortbread chose to bring the Shivery Bite tradition to Bank Holiday beachgoers and swimmers along Brighton's seafront.
A poll of 2,000 adults found 11% of Gen Z consider paddleboarding to be essential to the perfect day by the sea, compared to just 7% of millennials and 3% of Boomers.
38% of Gen Z said swimming in the sea is a beach day priority.
74% of younger adults would skip arcade games, and 87% would happily avoid a round of crazy golf.
Seaside traditions such as tucking into fish and chips, a picnic and coastal walks were still among the most treasured experiences across all those surveyed.
15 minutes is considered the perfect amount of time to spend in the water.
49% enjoy wrapping themselves in a toasty towel after a dip, and 18% tuck into a warm sweet snack to restore energy levels.
Walker's Shortbread introduced the Shivery Bite concept to Bank Holiday beachgoers and swimmers along Brighton's seafront.
Bryony Walker from Walker's Shortbread said: "Activities like paddleboarding are becoming more popular with younger generations, but what remains constant is a dip in the sea."
A poll of 2,000 adults found 11% of Gen Z consider paddleboarding to be essential to the perfect day by the sea, compared to just 7% of millennials and 3% of Boomers.
38% of Gen Z said swimming in the sea is a beach day priority.
74% of younger adults would skip arcade games, and 87% would happily avoid a round of crazy golf.
Seaside traditions such as tucking into fish and chips, a picnic and coastal walks were still among the most treasured experiences across all those surveyed.
15 minutes is considered the perfect amount of time to spend in the water.
49% enjoy wrapping themselves in a toasty towel after a dip, and 18% tuck into a warm sweet snack to restore energy levels.
Walker's Shortbread introduced the Shivery Bite concept to Bank Holiday beachgoers and swimmers along Brighton's seafront.
Bryony Walker from Walker's Shortbread said: "Activities like paddleboarding are becoming more popular with younger generations, but what remains constant is a dip in the sea."
Framing: The headline emphasizes a generational shift in beach day preferences, highlighting that Gen Z's ideal beach day no longer includes traditional activities like mini-golf or arcade games. — Measured and somewhat promotional, highlighting changes in younger generations' preferences while maintaining a neutral survey-reporting tone.
Facts Included:
A poll of 2,000 adults found 11% of Gen Z consider paddleboarding to be essential to the perfect day by the sea, compared to just 7% of Millennials and 3% of Boomers.
38% of Gen Z said swimming in the sea is a beach day priority.
74% of Gen Z would skip arcade games, and 87% would happily avoid a round of crazy golf.
Seaside traditions such as fish and chips, a picnic and coastal walks were still among the most treasured experiences across all surveyed.
Bryony Walker from Walker’s Shortbread said: “While the research shows beachgoers still crave the classic seaside experiences, it’s interesting to see what now makes up the ideal day at the beach.”
Over two thirds said snacks are an important part of the day, with sandwiches and crisps being the most popular items.
26% included a hot drink in a flask and 24% included shortbread or biscuits as essential picnic items.
38% visit the coast for its nostalgia, with 48% missing the sense of adventure and freedom from childhood.
The research found 15 minutes is the ideal length of time to spend in the sea.
After the dip, 49% prefer a toasty towel and 18% a warm sweet treat, a ritual called a ‘Shivery Bite’ by Scots.
A study of 2,000 adults found that 74% of young Britons would bypass arcade games, while 87% would happily avoid crazy golf.
11% of Gen Z consider paddleboarding essential to the ideal beach day, compared with just 7% of millennials and 3% of Boomers.
38% of Gen Z described paddleboarding as 'essential' to the day.
Mainstays such as eating fish and chips, enjoying a picnic and going for coastal walks were still regarded as the finest aspects of the seaside experience for all those surveyed.
Bryony Walker from Walker's Shortbread, which brought its newly launched Wee Chunkies bites to a seaside pop-up on Brighton beach, said: "While the research shows beachgoers still crave the classic seaside experiences, it's interesting to see what now makes up the ideal day at the beach."
The research, carried out via OnePoll, found that 15 minutes is deemed the optimal duration to spend in the water.
Beachgoers relish wrapping up in a warm towel (49%) or treating themselves to a hot sweet snack (18%) — a tradition known in Scotland as a 'Shivery Bite' — a term familiar to just 9% of Britons.
Walker's Shortbread chose to bring the Shivery Bite tradition to Bank Holiday beachgoers and swimmers along Brighton's seafront.
A study of 2,000 adults found that 74% of young Britons would bypass arcade games, while 87% would happily avoid crazy golf.
11% of Gen Z consider paddleboarding essential to the ideal beach day, compared with just 7% of millennials and 3% of Boomers.
38% of Gen Z described paddleboarding as 'essential' to the day.
Mainstays such as eating fish and chips, enjoying a picnic and going for coastal walks were still regarded as the finest aspects of the seaside experience for all those surveyed.
Bryony Walker from Walker's Shortbread, which brought its newly launched Wee Chunkies bites to a seaside pop-up on Brighton beach, said: "While the research shows beachgoers still crave the classic seaside experiences, it's interesting to see what now makes up the ideal day at the beach."
The research, carried out via OnePoll, found that 15 minutes is deemed the optimal duration to spend in the water.
Beachgoers relish wrapping up in a warm towel (49%) or treating themselves to a hot sweet snack (18%) — a tradition known in Scotland as a 'Shivery Bite' — a term familiar to just 9% of Britons.
Walker's Shortbread chose to bring the Shivery Bite tradition to Bank Holiday beachgoers and swimmers along Brighton's seafront.
A poll of 2,000 adults found 11% of Gen Z consider paddleboarding to be essential to the perfect day by the sea, compared to just 7% of millennials and 3% of Boomers.
38% of Gen Z said swimming in the sea is a beach day priority.
74% of younger adults would skip arcade games, and 87% would happily avoid a round of crazy golf.
Seaside traditions such as tucking into fish and chips, a picnic and coastal walks were still among the most treasured experiences across all those surveyed.
15 minutes is considered the perfect amount of time to spend in the water.
49% enjoy wrapping themselves in a toasty towel after a dip, and 18% tuck into a warm sweet snack to restore energy levels.
Walker's Shortbread introduced the Shivery Bite concept to Bank Holiday beachgoers and swimmers along Brighton's seafront.
Bryony Walker from Walker's Shortbread said: "Activities like paddleboarding are becoming more popular with younger generations, but what remains constant is a dip in the sea."
Framing: Headline highlights that young beachgoers swap arcade games for water sports while still clinging to one cherished seaside thing
Facts Included:
A poll of 2,000 adults found 11% of Gen Z consider paddleboarding to be essential to the perfect day by the sea, compared to just 7% of millennials and 3% of Boomers.
38% of Gen Z said swimming in the sea is a beach day priority.
74% of younger adults would skip arcade games, and 87% would happily avoid a round of crazy golf.
Seaside traditions such as tucking into fish and chips, a picnic and coastal walks were still among the most treasured experiences across all those surveyed.
15 minutes is considered the perfect amount of time to spend in the water.
49% enjoy wrapping themselves in a toasty towel after a dip, and 18% tuck into a warm sweet snack to restore energy levels.
Walker's Shortbread introduced the Shivery Bite concept to Bank Holiday beachgoers and swimmers along Brighton's seafront.
Bryony Walker from Walker's Shortbread said: "Activities like paddleboarding are becoming more popular with younger generations, but what remains constant is a dip in the sea."
AI-extracted; can misattribute a claim — see Methodology.
Each row is one claim, attributed to the outlet whose wording states it most clearly. Confidence rates how directly the source text states the claim — explicit and unhedged rates high; hedged, pieced-together, or internally inconsistent statements rate lower. It does not measure whether the claim is true. Status is Contested when two claims on this page negate each other; otherwise it counts the mastheads we found asserting that specific claim — so a single-source claim can still show high confidence, and a multi-source claim can show medium. Every one of those outlets is named beside the status, so you can check the count against the list. For claims extracted before we began storing that list, the row says so: it names the outlet the claim is quoted from and states that we have not recorded which outlets backed it. Outlets wrote at different times, so a figure that evolves — a casualty count, for example — can legitimately differ between rows; check the "as of" time next to each claim's source.
Claim
Confidence
Status
ClaimA study of 2,000 adults found that 74% of young Britons would bypass arcade games, while 87% would happily avoid crazy golf.
ClaimMainstays such as eating fish and chips, enjoying a picnic and going for coastal walks were still regarded as the finest aspects of the seaside experience for all those surveyed.
ClaimBryony Walker from Walker's Shortbread, which brought its newly launched Wee Chunkies bites to a seaside pop-up on Brighton beach, said: "While the research shows beachgoers still crave the classic seaside experiences, it's interesting to see what now makes up the ideal day at the beach."
ClaimBeachgoers relish wrapping up in a warm towel (49%) or treating themselves to a hot sweet snack (18%) — a tradition known in Scotland as a 'Shivery Bite' — a term familiar to just 9% of Britons.