technology on the beach

something in one of the accompanying books to 'if everyone had an ocean' struck me, about the beach as a very culturally specific thing, late 20th century and western - in most times and places the beach has been a workplace. and this made me think about the beach as a technological phenomenon - looking out of the gallery window i could see that this supposed experience of nature is mediated by artefacts most of which could not have existed before the second world war:
lightweight nylon fabric shelters
sunglasses
wetsuits
lycra costumes
surfboards
inflatables

the english invented the seaside, but i suspect the french and the californians invented the beach.