How to Keep a Beach Umbrella From Blowing in the Wind

if you've spent any time at the ocean, you've probably seen somebody's beach umbrella snatched up by a burst of wind and sent cartwheeling along the shoreline. Hopefully no one got knocked upside the head. Beach umbrellas are prone to this sort of wind-induced misbehavior and can cause serious injury if the pole hits somebody. Plus, a few tumbles in the surf and your beach umbrella will need to be replaced. Follow these steps to anchor your umbrella in the sand where it can provide shade, not headaches.

Things You'll Need

• Sand anchor
• Tent spikes
• 10 feet of 1/4 inch nylon rope
• 2 ice chests

Instructions

1. Get a pole anchor and screw it into the sand for a secure hold. Anchors twist into the sand and feature a screw tightener on the side to hold your umbrella in place.

2. Tie a loop in the middle of a 10-foot length of nylon rope and place the umbrella pole in the loop. Insert the umbrella pole in the sand.

3. Tie tent spikes on both ends of the rope and drive them into the sand. The tent spikes provide extra stability for your umbrella, while the rope gives you something to grab if the umbrella does come loose.

4. Close the umbrella while you are not using it to prevent wind from catching the material and lifting it out of the sand.

References

• Review of sand anchor product
• Illustrations of sand anchors