Your average beach ball is an inflatable ball that is used in recreational activities and games, usually at a beach or pool. Due to their relatively large size and the fact that they are lightweight, it does not take much effort to launch them into the air. They move pretty slowly and do not present any danger if they were to hit a person, so they are great for children or laid back games at the beach.
You may not think much about the origin of the beach ball, but the invention of this ball is credited to Jonathan DeLonge in 1938. They come in various sizes, from hand sized to three feet in diameter. If you are looking for a giant inflatable ball, you can find them as big as ten feet in diameter, but you may have to get it at a specialty store or purchase it online. This giant beach ball is not as common and therefore more difficult to find than your average beach ball, but they can be loads of fun. You may have seen one of them bobbing around the crowd at a concert or sporting event, or even at a tailgating party or your fun-loving neighbor’s barbecue.
Whether average sized or giant, the construction consists of soft plastic panels with two circle shaped panels at each end. There will be an inflation valve on one end that you can inflate with either your mouth or an air pump. If you purchase a giant beach ball, you will definitely need an air pump to inflate it. The usual design of a beach ball has solid colored stripes that switch off with white stripes. Businesses may print advertisements or logos on them and distribute them at concerts or sporting events.
Although not used as the official ball in any recognized sport, they are commonly used to play a casual game of water polo or volleyball at the beach or pool. They are great to bring along to the beach because you can inflate them when you get there, saving you a lot of room in your beach bag and allowing you to avoid carrying around a heavy ball. They are also a lot less expensive than the balls that are used in professional sports.
It is also worth noting that many plastic inflatable beach balls are not very durable and if they get a hole, this most likely means game over for you. If this is a risk you are concerned about, why not bring a spare ball with you since they are easy to pack and do not take up much room.
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