Perfect for the beach - Plus less stress

A great anywhere camera. Don't let the ratings fool you, this camera does a great job filling a specific need without costing a ridiculous amount of money.

The Tough is built for the beach. If you want a cheaper camera that you can take places you wouldn't dare risk your super zoom/SLR/smart phone - this is a great choice. Less expensive, reasonably compact and better built than several other underwater models, the Tough provides peace of mind.

I've used it for snorkeling and it performs well underwater, achieving focus in a reasonable amount of time at wide angle.

Sand is a camera's worst enemy on the beach. This model is not sand proof (as you can gunk up the spinning mode dial), but it stands up way better than most. That in itself is worth the price tag if you enjoy surfing or baking on the beach.

Problems:

Image quality is just okay. Images become grainy in any lower light situation. Focus speed is average and shutter lag is less than average. Note that all of these issues have been greatly improved upon in the most recent versions of the Tough series - and those are still very well priced too.