We often get the question from parents looking to join our league: "Where's the best place to go to get hockey equipment for my child?"
Because our area isn't exactly filled with hockey stores, finding gear can be a bit tricky if you don't know where to look.
That said, here the best places that we recommend for purchasing gear.
Dick's is often the first stop we recommend for new players. There are two locations locally — North Myrtle Beach and Coastal Grand Mall. Sadly, neither location sells hockey-specific gear, but they do have rollerblades as well as lacrosse gloves, elbow pads and shoulder pads, which can all be used for inline hockey. Also, you can order hockey-specific gear from the Dick's website and it doesn't fit, the local stores will accept returns, even though it didn't come from their store. This gives you a solid way to try things on without having to ship them back.
Inline Warehouse has a good selection of introductory gear at solid prices and reliably ships in a reasonable amount of time. This is our preferred online retailer for inline hockey-specific gear. Some additional online retailers you may want to check out include HockeyTron, Hockey Monkey and Pure Hockey. As a last resort you may also want to look at Amazon.com. Their hockey gear options can be quite varied, but you will find some gear there and you really can't beat that 2-day Prime shipping.
Located north over the N.C. line, Wilmington, is 60-90 minutes away depending on where you live. Play It Again Sports is a well-known second-hand shop located at 3530 S. College Road, Wilmington, N.C. Here you'll find a somewhat small, yet helpful selection of youth hockey gear, including used gear at good prices. If you'd like to go this route, we'd recommend calling first to ensure they have what you need.
To the south, the Charleston-based ice rink known as Carolina Ice Palace has a pro shop filled with plenty of great gear, with new equipment ranging from sticks and gloves to helmets, pants and pads. Unfortunately, you won't find inline skates here, as this is primarily an ice hockey shop, but all the rest of your gear needs can be covered here. You can also easily make a daytrip out of it by attending one of their public skate sessions while you're there or heading to downtown Charleston to explore while you're in town. Carolina Ice Palace is located at 7665 Northwoods Blvd, North Charleston, SC, and is about 2 hours away depending on where you live.
SidelineSwap is an online marketplace where athletes can buy and sell new and used sports equipment. The platform allows users to list items like sports gear, apparel, and accessories for various sports, including hockey. Here, parents and players can browse a wide range of items, and can find deeply discounted hockey gear including gloves, helmets, sticks and more. If you're looking to save and don't mind gently used items, this is one of the best options available.
We require players to have the following protective gear:
We also strongly recommend:
Have questions about specific items or need recommendations?
Grand Strand Youth Hockey is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization devoted to promoting the game of hockey along the Grand Strand. Our mission is to teach kids of all ages and skill levels the game of inline hockey and give them opportunities for learning, growth, camaraderie and, most of all, fun, while playing the fastest game on wheels. For more information you can contact us by clicking here or call us at (843) 633-3150.
Grand Strand Youth Hockey
(843) 633-3150
The Market Common Hockey Rink
Emmens Avenue & Crabtree Lane
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
info@grandstrandhockey.com