How Much Wind Can a Beach Umbrella Take?
Going for a vacation is always fun once you have all the equipment that is required to do so. Having a beach umbrella will make it all the better if you want to go near a lake or beach.
It is a must-have for a trip to the sand. Get a nice and good quality umbrella along with sunscreen and a beach towel. Before you buy one, make sure how much wind a beach umbrella takes.
How much wind is too much for a beach umbrella?
The quality of an umbrella depends on the parts that it is made of. All the parts like metal body, hooks and canvas should be in good quality. Otherwise the overall performance will lower down.
The wind is stronger compared to other countries. The wind comes from 12 to 15 miles per hour velocity. During the windy season it raises up to 18 to 20 miles per hour.
Therefore, have an umbrella that can handle that much stronger wind.
Can beach umbrellas withstand winds?
Beach umbrellas are made for low to moderate wind flow. In general they can’t stand heavy wind. You can’t rely on an umbrella during a storm. The wind may pull both the support pole and fabric away from their still positions if the umbrella has lightweight fabric.
The wind can break the support beams under the fabric if umbrellas are made from heavier fabric. It is time for a replacement if you have an umbrella that doesn’t survive storms pretty well.
Popular designs have offset umbrella bases with 2 legs near the center and 4 legs on the outer edge. Good umbrellas have a center pole that is anchored into a strong base.
Many modern day umbrellas are designed for durability in high winds. Some umbrellas stand with criss-crossing bars or crossbars and others stand on Y-shaped bases with 2 central supports and two legs on each side of them.
What Is The Best Beach Umbrella For Wind?
Among many good quality beach umbrellas, there are a few of them that you can try.
- Abba Patio 7ft Beach Umbrella with Sand Anchor: Abba Patio Beach Umbrella is well made and can withstand heavy gusts of winds.
- Ammsun 6.5ft Twice Folded Beach Umbrella with sand: Ammsun Beach Umbrella is shipped with a corkscrew style plastic anchor that worked perfectly well for anchoring it in the sand.
- Impact Canopy 8’ Beach Umbrella: Impact Canopy Beach Umbrella creates enough shade for a few people to fit comfortably.
Beach umbrella alternatives for wind and sun Protection
After packing all the stuff you need for a beach visit, one thing you need to care about is sun and wind protection. Beach umbrellas have been used for years for this purpose.
There are so many options nowadays. Try those and read the instruction manuals whether you like it or not. Some of them will give you more comfort compared to usual umbrellas.
Beach Cabana
They have sand bags for easy fixtures. The sandbags will make it easy to fixture the tent’s four corners on all surfaces. Inside pockets on every corner of the cabana for sunscreen, phones, water bottles or other smaller items.
Cabana carry bag packs down snugly in the combined storage. The umbrella and the extension poles are easy to set up and take down. Get full shade under the roof with the included removable wall.
UPF protection, waterproof fabric as the rest of the cabana. Sturdy, durable fiberglass structure holds the roof.
If you prefer a good quality beach cabana, you can consider Qipi Beach Cabana for your beach trip.
Sun and Rain Canopy Umbrella for Beach and Sports
They are all weather Sun Umbrella. Sit in and enjoy sporting events or nature in your own environment. With an innovative design it protects you from the elements but won’t restrict natural view. Canopies are sun-safe with UPF coating that protects users from UVA and UVB rays.
Use it as a beach umbrella, sun tent, rain shelter and more. It gives you instant and portable protection from the elements regardless of any kinds of activity. They come with a convenient carrying bag plus tethers and ground stakes for extra stability.
The rugged umbrella structure includes side flaps that fold down to protect you from sideways rain and wind gusts. To keep you cool on sunny days, it offers top wind vents and side zippered windows for cross-ventilation.
Consider the best Sport-Brella Vented SPF 50+ Sun and Rain Canopy Umbrella for Beach and Sports Events to give you comfort.
Beach Tent Sun Shade Shelter
There are options for sheltering more than one person. Larger space at a more affordable price. Easy to set up with stability accessories and easy to carry. Quick popping mechanism allows it to set up in seconds.
Lightweight and easy to fold back with a compact carrying bag for easy transport and storage. Sun-proof material and special embedded silver-coated material provide great UV protection from the Sun and roll up openings maintain airflow to keep the tent cool when staying inside.
Extended front floor provides extra space for more activities and can be closed with adhesive velcro straps when private moment protection is needed like breastfeeding or clothes changing.
For more than 1 person, you can buy WhiteFang Deluxe XL Pop Up Beach Tent Sun Shade Shelter for 3-4 Persons.
How to Stop Your Beach Umbrella from Blowing Away?
For a good preference and need to be adjusted to suit the location. With lots of different beach types and physical abilities, the Ultimate solution is a combination of a properly installed umbrella like positioning, angle, depth etc.
Use either a screw or sandbag anchor, depending on preference. Followings can be good ways to save your umbrella-
Try to Avoid Stormy Wind Conditions
Storm is more problematic. Short bursts of much stronger wind that comes frequently at 15+ mph stronger. The extra wind speed with a change in direction makes these conditions unsuitable for using a beach umbrella.
You Can Watch for Changes in the Wind
A well decorated beach umbrella can stand considerably strong winds, often far stronger winds than is pleasant for being at the beach. The strength of the wind is rarely constant. For the wind to change direction, you need to be alert and to alter the direction in which the canopy is facing.
Keep the Umbrella Safe
After the angle is fixed, then you need to back fill the hole around the pole. Compress the sand as much as possible by firmly stepping around the pole. Pile the sand up around the pole to give it a little more support.
Final Positioning of the Umbrella
Angle the top of the canopy towards the wind with the umbrella back in the hole. This should be done with a straight pole. Angling the canopy into the wind by 15 degrees. The wind helps to push the umbrella into the sand. The greater the angle into the breeze the more secure. It will impact how much shade the umbrella can offer.
Opening of the Canopy
For soft holding, the hole collapses and fills with sand when the pole is removed. The beach umbrella canopy should be lower to the ground than a patio umbrella so that the opening would be more difficult.
For firm holding, remove the umbrella from the hole then turn it upside down and securely open the canopy. Turn it back over and insert back into the hole.
Rock the whole Umbrella
Rock the whole umbrella front and back for 45 degrees to slowly inch the bottom of the pole deeper into the sand. Aim for the pole to be about 18 to 24 inches deep from your cleared area. The rocking motion should be only back and forth. Don’t move it in a circular motion to avoid making all the sand loose. Put the pole to be even deeper in areas of dry and loose sand.
Plunge the Bottom of the Umbrella pole
Don’t stab your own feet. Plunge the pointed end of the umbrella into the center of the prepared area. Make this as deep as possible as it is just for starting the hole.
Make Sure to Clear Loose Sand
We know that the top few inches of sand is very loose. Move the loose sand to one side for an area of about 1 sq ft. This makes for the best holding, firmer sand.
Choose Your Suitable Spot
Observe the wind direction by nearby flags. Let some loose sand trickle out of hand to show you the local wind direction. Try to avoid areas where the wind will funnel.
Lower point between two sand dunes, the gap between two buildings or the end of a long built-up street can all act as funnels for wind.
It makes it stronger than in other spots. Flags on high buildings could be misleading as the wind direction changes at different heights.
FAQs
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that there were roughly 2,800 unconfirmed beach umbrella-related injuries between 2010-2018. Therefore, you need to be careful regarding using them safely. In addition, a good quality of canvas with a good number of SPF will only save you from the UV of the Sun.
