What to pack for Singer Island

01Pack these in every season

Singer Island is a barrier island in the subtropics, and the sun is strong in January as well as July. A few things belong in the bag no matter when you come; after that, the calendar decides the rest. The residence supplies the bulky things, the towels, the chairs and the umbrella, so what you carry is mostly what goes on your skin and what you wear to dinner.

• Reef-safe sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses. The reefs and the turtle beaches are close, and mineral formulas are the right call near them.
• Swimwear and a cover-up, with flip-flops or sandals. The beach and the pools are open all year.
• Light, breathable clothes for the days, and something a step nicer for dinner across the bridge.
• A snorkel mask if you own one you like. Rentals are easy to find, but your own mask means you are ready for a good tide the moment it comes.
• A refillable water bottle. You will drink more than you expect, in every month.

The when to visit guide explains the seasons the list below follows.

02The dry season from November through April

Winter here is mild and dry, with days in the low 70s to low 80s and nights that cool off, sometimes into the 60s or upper 50s in December and January. The balcony wants a sweater at dawn, and the evening breeze off the ocean is real. All the beach gear still comes, because the days are warm; the additions are for the ends of the day.

Add to the bag

• A light sweater or jacket for the evenings and the balcony at sunrise.
• Long pants for the cooler nights and the dressier dinners.
• A windbreaker for the breezy day or two that follows a cold front.
• A rash guard or a thin wetsuit top if you plan to swim in the ocean rather than the heated pool. The Atlantic drifts into the low 70s and sometimes the upper 60s in January and February.

Winter is also the social season in the Palm Beaches, so this is the stretch when the dinner outfit gets the most use.

03The green season and storm season from May through October

From May into October the island is hot and humid, with a storm most afternoons that passes in an hour, and the ocean is at its warmest. Pack the lightest clothes you own, and think quick-drying rather than cotton.

Add to the bag

• A compact rain layer, a packable poncho or a light rain jacket, for the afternoon storm. An umbrella helps on the walk to dinner and less on a breezy beach.
• Extra sun protection: a rash guard for long ocean and snorkel sessions, and more sunscreen than seems reasonable.
• Bug spray for dawn and dusk, when mosquitoes and no-see-ums come out, especially near the mangroves and on still evenings.
• Water shoes for the rocky snorkel entries at Ocean Reef Park and the boulders under the Blue Heron Bridge.

Hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30, with its peak in September. A direct hit in any given week is rare, but for a summer or fall trip it is sensible to consider travel insurance that covers weather, keep an eye on the forecast the week before you fly, and read the cancellation policy attached to your dates on Airbnb.

04Beach, pool and the spa

On the beach in front of the resort the attendants set up loungers and an umbrella and bring towels, so for a morning on the sand you carry sunscreen, water, a hat and something to read. The public beaches and the state park are parks without a bar, so for those days add a cooler with more water than you think, snacks that survive heat, a canopy or umbrella for shade, and a dry bag for phones and keys.

For the residents' pool

• No food or glass containers at the residential pool, and used towels go back to the bin by the attendant's desk.
• An outdoor shower at the pools handles the first rinse before the elevator.

For the spa

• Swimwear for the hydrothermal circuit, and a water bottle you keep refilling.
• Leave jewelry and the watch upstairs; heat, cold and salt are unkind to them, and the in-room safe is in the walk-in closet.
• A contact-lens case if steam and salt bother your eyes.
• What the resort provides on the day, robes or slippers, is the resort's to say, so ask when you book a treatment.

05Dinner in Palm Beach

The island eats barefoot; Palm Beach, about twenty minutes south, dresses a notch up, and the room notices a wet cover-up. The safe register on the island of Palm Beach is resort-elegant: a collared shirt and good trousers or a linen jacket, a sundress or something equally put-together. A few of the older, more formal dining rooms still appreciate a jacket in the evening. West Palm Beach, across the water, is looser, and smart-casual carries you through Clematis Street and Rosemary Square.

What to pack for a night across the bridge

• One dressier outfit per person. Even on a beach trip, you will use it.
• A light jacket or wrap. Dining rooms and courtyards run cool with the air conditioning and the evening breeze, in every season.
• Real shoes. Sandals are for the island; bring something you would wear to dinner in any city.

The Palm Beach dining guide covers the districts and the manners, and the arts and culture guide adds the jacket for a concert at the Kravis Center.

06Boat days and golf mornings

A charter from the marinas across the bridge provides the rods, reels, bait, tackle, ice and the license coverage, and the mate cleans and bags the catch. You bring yourselves and what the sun and the salt ask for.

For the boat

• Sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses, and a light layer for wind and spray.
• Soft-soled, non-marking shoes, water, snacks and a soft cooler for anything you keep.
• A seasickness remedy taken before you leave the dock, not once you feel unwell.
• Leave hard coolers and bananas ashore; there is no room for the first, and captains are superstitious about the second.

For the course

• Golf shoes you have broken in, a glove and a spare, a wide hat, lip balm and sunscreen. Shoes are the item hardest to rent.
• Clubs can stay at home; most public and resort courses rent sets. Call ahead for a left-handed set.
• A collared shirt and no denim covers the public courses; resort and private clubs can ask for more.

The boating and fishing and golf guides carry the detail.

07What the residence already has

The reason the bag can be light is that the residence is equipped like a home rather than a hotel room. Before you pack a thing, know that these are already upstairs.

• The kitchen: a full Miele suite with pots, pans, dishes, glassware and wine glasses, a blender, a toaster and a baking sheet, plus oil, salt, pepper and coffee for the built-in machine and the drip maker.
• The laundry: a washer and dryer in the residence, an iron and a drying rack, so a week's clothes cover a fortnight.
• The bathrooms: shampoo, conditioner, body soap, shower gel, towels and a hair dryer.
• The beach: beach towels, chairs and an umbrella, with sun loungers on the balcony.
• The closet: hangers, robes, a luggage rack and the safe.
• Wi-Fi and an Ethernet connection, with smart televisions in the living room and both bedrooms.
• A crib, a travel crib and a high chair, on request through the host.

Anything forgotten is a short drive from a Publix, a Whole Foods or a pharmacy, and both grocery stores carry sunscreen, aspirin and phone chargers alongside the food. The amenities page has the full list.