The beach is one of my favorite places to escape and relax, whether it is with my family, or on my own. There is nothing like the crashing waves on the shore, the kids running around the sand laughing their heads off, and that fresh sea smell. There are many like me who feel the same, and there is a whole culture that goes along with the beach life. As with any culture of this sort, there are fashion considerations. Many people put a lot of time and effort into deciding what to wear during their visit to the beach, and a lot of retailers have picked up on this, and are offering a broad range of swimwear.

On of the biggest selling items in these retail stores are swim shorts. There are so many different types of swim shorts that you can choose from, that sometimes you can get lost and find it really difficult to come to a decision on what to wear. For men, there are three main types of swimming shorts to choose from; briefs, trunks and board shorts.

Briefs are the shortest of these three choices, and are not for the modest. Wearing a pair of briefs on the beach will leave nothing to the imagination. They are snug fitting, and they will only cover what you need to legally cover in order to not get arrested for indecent exposure. If this is still too much material for you, then you are going to have to seek out a nudist beach, because briefs are as brief as they get.

Trunks are really just shorts. The only difference between a pair of trunks and pair of shorts is the lining. Trunks will have special lining in them to help protect them from the sea water. You will find that these are the designs most often used by lifesavers, so they must have something going for them. I guess they are the most functional shorts you can get, without having everything out for display to the world.

The final type of swimming short is the board short, and these are also the most popular. Board shorts are worn in and out of the water, and have become a fashion trend unto themselves. There are so many different brands and styles of board shorts available, that you will have no problem finding a style that suits you. There are also many different patterns to choose from.