Take only the smallest amount of paper money you need - and leave the wallet and devices at home/hotel. Bring a paperback book to read. Stash the bills in the book when you go in the water.
1
Be careful. I put my car keys and a few things in a paper bag and a seagull tried to fly off with it! The bird almost got away with it but I startled it and it dropped the bag.
But what really irks me is that back in the 80s, someone stole my vintage 60s Peter Max "Smile" beach towel. I wonder what that would go for on eBay today.
But what really irks me is that back in the 80s, someone stole my vintage 60s Peter Max "Smile" beach towel. I wonder what that would go for on eBay today.
2
There are waterproof backpacks available, but I've never used one. I have a good-sized drybox for rental car keys. I leave my phone at the hotel!
Not a problem for me -- I can't stand the beach anyway, so I never go. And that's also why I don't have crow's feet around my eyes...even if I am unfashionably pale.
4
Seabag Original Underwater is my solution. It is waterproof down to 15ft and it can be inflated. It is not big enough to store everything, but you can easily have your phone, keys, wallet and ipad with you when you enjoy water.
4
If you've kept an old (non iPhone) phone, swap the Sim card from your good phone into it, and leave the good phone at home. Of course, password protect the old phone too so no international calling or info-stealing if they take it.
2
One more reason to by an Android phone, like a Samsung, and not the iPhone...they're waterproof.
2
android phones aren't waterproof
9
you know that little pocket in your bathing suit?
well i put a car key (or hotel room key), $20 bill (or more cash), my ID (drivers license etc), medical ins card, and credit card in there. boom. done.
well i put a car key (or hotel room key), $20 bill (or more cash), my ID (drivers license etc), medical ins card, and credit card in there. boom. done.
3
I worry that tourists who bring their iPhones to the beach don't quite get the beach. Please, leave the phones in your hotel. The beach is where people go to disconnect. I don't want to hear your ringtones almost as much as I don't want to hear my own.
23
I think the looks like a dirty diaper idea is brilliant.
7
Old trick used is put valuables inside a plastic zip lock bag. Keep inside ice chest. You never forget your stuff.
8
Hope that thieves don't read The New York Times.
31
I use a bag or container that can some how be secured in a way to make it unlikely that the contents can be easily snatched out of it. But more importantly, I put my stuff in something that really stands out a lot and could never be "accidentally" picked up. Tying on a bunch of florescent plastic surveyors tape is my go-to way for making my bag so unique that a thief would, I hope, pass it by.
1
A lifeguard's focus should be on people in potential distress, not one's "valuables".
28
A lifeguard should not be asked to keep an eye on your stuff. He's there to save lives, not watch your junk.
41
put it ina waterproof knapsack and swim with it//// or stop being paranoid... most people do not want your junk! you could bury it under a sandcastle as well.
2
My stuff disappeared one time, and it was the tide came in and washed it away. :)
9
Truly disgusting how one is never safe from scroungers and petty thieves in this country, and how we take it for granted that we somehow deserve to have our things stolen if we leave them unattended. On our once in a lifetime trip to the Greek islands, a much poorer country, we learned we could leave our belongings and swim without fear (of course we didn't take valuables, but even our cell phones were safe.)
6
An example of luck...... how silly to apply it to either country.
4
No, not luck, the Greeks are very honest. Petty theft is not a problem there, and it is here. You may go and try your "luck" on Jones Beach.
5
Well, you didn't go to the right Greek beach then. It happens all over the world. In fact, it honestly didn't occur to me that this article was about US travel/beaches until I read your post. The only beaches in the US your car wouldn't be near is one that you can take a train to. And those aren't really beaches.
4
When I was 22 and working, I took a vacation to the Virgin Islands and bought an Omega watch. A few years later, I faced this situation....where to put the watch while in the ocean. Well, the watch was supposed to be waterproof, so I wore it into the water. All was fine until I noticed, in deeper water, I no longer was wearing the watch. While the watch was waterproof, its leather band was not. Glues or adhesives that held it together dissolved in the water, and the watch was gone.
It wasn't a super fancy watch, but it cost me $160 duty free in 1969. It was a hard earned lesson.
It wasn't a super fancy watch, but it cost me $160 duty free in 1969. It was a hard earned lesson.
6
Lesson: never spend ore than 20$ on a watch. get one with a plastic band. (I lost an omega watch in NYC-- when the pins somehow came loose. After than never again an expensive watch.
1
If you must have a watch, get a cheap Timex one for vacations. And leave your wedding ring and designer clothes at home. I take beat up, mismatched luggage when I go anywhere outside the US.
4
My mother found an Omega SeaMaster watch on the beach once! We went to see the grunion running, she saw a flash of silver, and there it was, likely came from a scuba diver in the kelp beds offshore. Some cleaning and a new band was all it needed.
6
In Costa Rica, we were swimming at Cahuita when a couple near us on the beach came out to warn us. The problem was theft from our bags on the beach --- by monkeys. I went running in and saved our lunches. The monkeys didn't want my clothes, they had only a vague interest in my camera, but they were glad to take everything if it might have food in it. My solution is a 2 meter thin bicycle cable from REI, together with the lock from my suitcases. Find an old driftwood log, cable up my bags, go swim.
6
While on holiday in Miami recently, we rented a small safe called the aqua vault. It attached to the lounge chair and operated using a 3 digit lock/unlock code. A thief would have to steal the lounge chair in order to make off with your valuables which would be a hassle as well as guarantee an appearance on the TV show, "World's Dumbest Criminals". The cost was $5 for the entire day. The aqua vault can be found at most of the beach equipment rental stands on south beach. Best $5 spent = peace of mind.
19
I live on Maui and my recommendation is to never leave valuables in a rental car and do not leave anything on the beach that you cannot afford to lose. Thieves are more interested in cash and credit cards than cell phones. Leave your wallet/purse in the hotel and bring small amount of cash. Guys can put cash in the pocket of board shorts when swimming. Put your phone in a baggy and bury it in the sand, or leave it in the car.
I lock my car keys in the car and carry a valet key with me, even in the water. Valet key is not electronic so it stays in my shorts even when I go swimming.
I lock my car keys in the car and carry a valet key with me, even in the water. Valet key is not electronic so it stays in my shorts even when I go swimming.
11
Many valet keys are electronic or the valet could not start the car. Get a key which only opens the door.
3
What an opportunity for a few seagull to set up a check service. They do it all for a can of sardines!
4
I've never buried my stuff but I like the idea as it would keep electronics out of the hot sun.
4
Amazon sells containers for your valuables that look like sunscreen. They open in the middle so you can fit larger items inside. I'd go with that over burying my stuff or putting it in with garbage or a diaper. You might forget where you buried your stuff, or some good samaritan might be helpful and take your “trash" along with theirs!
7
Decades of laying on the beach and never once had anything stolen. Decades of leaving my door unlocked.never burgled. Decades of car owning and never once was there a theft. Living in fear is the problem. Fear of losing your stuff is simply not worth it. Enjoy your swim.
24
You have been lucky. Years ago, I bought a set of expensive tires, including a fifth for a spare, mounted on a wheel. I had just gotten them, and the fifth tire was in the garage. I left the garage door open, was away from the garage for a half hour, and in that half hour, somebody came and stole the tire. I have also lost other items from inside cars, such as radar detectors.
I solved it all by moving to a location in Vermont so remote that in 15 years I have never had a Halloween Trick of Treater.
I solved it all by moving to a location in Vermont so remote that in 15 years I have never had a Halloween Trick of Treater.
9
Being careful and sensible is not being fearful.
7
and you live in L.A??? Fear is paralyzing, common sense is necessary anywhere, especially living in a city (I grew up in L.A).
Easy: give away your valuables, create a global society focused on helping people in need rather than accumulating goods
21
dude, you should move to Santa Cruz ;)
4
I'm hoping this idea can help: I have a small "dry bag" left over from my kayaking/river rafting/sailing/diving days. It's a waterproof bag whose opening rolls tightly closed with a buckle-closure which can be looped around/attached to a waist belt/loop. I carry it with me into the water. Ahhhh....Peace of mind for the minimal inconvenience of a small bag bobbing from my waist/hip. This is only one example from many that are available from sports/outdoor stores: https://www.rei.com/product/737118/seattle-sports-microdry-stuff-sack-15.... I'm NOT promoting this particular item.
9
How you hide your stuff depends on the beach . I go to less populated areas and I don't have a phone . I lock my wallet inside the car in a hidden location , so the only thing to hide on the beach are the car keys . I put them in a small Rubbermaid container ( it will last forever and not allow water or sand inside , in contrast to Ziploc bags ) and bury the container close by when no one is looking or around to see me do it .
You do not need a phone on the beach ! If you do , you should not be there in the first place . Nor do you need money unless there is a food stand or rental place for recliners and such . For this stuff you bring some loose cash only .
I body surf ( native Californian , yeah ! ) , so bringing anything into the waves with me is out of the question . It is probably different if you are swimming in the Gulf or somewhere w/o waves and currents . Even then I would not trust a " waterproof " bag . With age they all fail .
You do not need a phone on the beach ! If you do , you should not be there in the first place . Nor do you need money unless there is a food stand or rental place for recliners and such . For this stuff you bring some loose cash only .
I body surf ( native Californian , yeah ! ) , so bringing anything into the waves with me is out of the question . It is probably different if you are swimming in the Gulf or somewhere w/o waves and currents . Even then I would not trust a " waterproof " bag . With age they all fail .
4
Get a beat up chair, a towel with a hole and ancient flip flops. No one will try. Tho my chair has a self created pocket underneath where I put the car key, the one you use for parking attendants.
To all the people who suggested burying your stuff: why do you think the people sweeping the beach every morning with metal detectors keep at it?
11
leave you phone and ID in a bag w a bunch of dirty trash and some leftover but still edible food (like 1/2 a sandwich, etc.)
1
1/2 eaten food sounds like seagull fodder
Most people are there to enjoy the beach and have lots of kids playing. On the to worry about list are kids running and stepping on something breakable or a sudden passing shower. Thieves are lower down on the list. Cheapest solution I've found is one of those bright practically neon backpacks that are usually given away free. They only close with a cord which makes up the straps. But the trick is multi-part. 1) Put it close to a family or group that's hanging out on the beach. It's bright enough that they don't mistake it for theirs and close enough that random thieves worry the owner is next to it. 2) Stack your cheap sandy stuff, like shoes or wet clothes around it, the backpacks are pretty water hardy. 3) The best thing is to take fresh water to the beach to wash away the sand before getting into a car. Anyone who grabs the bag would be surprised to find it's filled with 2-4 bottles 1/2 gallon bottles of water. Anything necessary and valuable is wrapped in a waterproof container inside a towel at the bottom of the bag. It takes one bold thief in for a surprise to try to run with 2 gallons of water in a neon bag! Leave the expensive phone at home, take a basic/old one you wouldn't mind if a kid stepped on by accident. Nothing is foolproof, but just not being the easiest or most obvious target helps. Thieves probably don't want to take the cheap looking, heavy, bright bag, next to a group of people.
7
Never go alone and always take turns in the water so you always have one eye on you stuff.
5
I leave everything in the car except for my valet key, which doesn't include any electronics. My bathing suit has a several pockets that close well enough to safely hold the key.
2
As Julia Child, the French Chef, once observed while prepping a suckling pig for the oven : " Nature has provided you with a convenient place to tuck the tail safely out-of-sight."
26
Actually burst out laughing. Thank you!
5
I use a Loksak Lanyard bag, and when I go paddle boarding I wear a SplashSak which has a aLOKSAK in side, this goes around my waist and I can go 200 meters under water and my phone and car keys stay dry and safe. Check them out Loksak.com
1
At 200 meters you would be dead even if you had a tank .
10
Actually don't worry about your stuff being stolen...worry about sharks!
1
I have a beach blanket from TWISTEDGURU.com. Has a cool waterproof ,lockable , hidden compartment. Pus corner pouches to fill with sand to keep it weighted down. Thief would have to drag the whole weighted blanket away. Bonus... it's a beautiful blanket!
5
But is it water absorbent? How about one in terry cloth?
1
And those pus corner pouches--so disgusting to a would-be thief! Worse than attentively dirty diaper . . .
1
>>>>
Let's hope all of our problems are so small.
Let's hope all of our problems are so small.
11
Don't go and expose yourself to the four terrible Ss: Sun, sand, salt and sea. Yech!
3
I see a Shark Tank episode.
1
There was one on ST, they had banks of little lockers (like groups of mailboxes for apt bldgs); they were leasing to beach hotels etc. Think they got wheeled out to beach each morning.
3
There was a solution proposed on a Shark Tank episode -- locking containers that attached to the frame of a lounge chair. Would have to hope no one took the whole chair!
3
Commentor andre Wilson mentions the Aqua Vault, which I think was presented on Shark Tank. The Sharks didn't bite, but I believe Aqua Vault will definitely take off.
Stash as you see fit. Leave an open bag of potato chips nearby and go in the water. A flock of seagulls will show up, guard your stuff and entertain. No one will even think about approaching your stuff.
25
I use one of those waterproof fanny packs that are used by kayakers. Works great even for snorkeling.
3
Burying is the best along with a decoy. That's what I do.
2
A drone, that holds your stuff up in the air then comes back to you when you wave to it with a secret gesture.
18
When I go to the beach I put my Rolex, the keys to the Porsche and a few thousand bucks in an old copy of Trump's Art of the Deal. No one goes near 'em.
144
I imagine that would vary depending on the beach...
1
Did you glue the pages and make a hole inside??
1
the first example: sealing valuables in a plastic bag and burying it is the smartest idea I never thought of.
20
what if the wind blows your towel or blanket away and you can't find the spot where the stuff is buried?
8
Hmmm I just leave my stuff in my tote bag on my towel. 40 years of going to the beach up and down the coast of CA, I've never had anything stolen, ever.
6
Glad that's worked for you, dude. Your stuff wouldn't last 40 minutes at Coney Island.
4
Same here, a half a lifetime spent on the Jersey Shore or Coney Island, nothing ever stolen.
4
Wait car keys are waterproof? Since when?
4
...for most of their existence?
4
He's talking about the valet key....not the electronic car key....
2
Been taking day trips to the Lowcountry beaches in SC all my life, and I have never once thought about someone stealing my stuff while I went into the water. I'm not sure if I feel naiive now or lucky.
19
The many suggestions here about locking valuables in the car don't help those of us New Yorkers (and our cousins in Miami, Rio, and Santa Monica) who walk or take public transit to the beach. We need to carry money and a credit card to pay for our train tickets, and we pretty much need to carry a phone so we can look up train schedules when we're ready to go home.
Urban beaches like Jones Beach and Coney Island need to meet this need by installing self-service valuables lockers where beachgoers can lock their money and phones. If the locker keys have safety pins, the key can be safely clipped to a bathing suit and worn in the ocean, and the only things left unattended on the sand would be a towel, suntan lotion, and lunch.
Urban beaches like Jones Beach and Coney Island need to meet this need by installing self-service valuables lockers where beachgoers can lock their money and phones. If the locker keys have safety pins, the key can be safely clipped to a bathing suit and worn in the ocean, and the only things left unattended on the sand would be a towel, suntan lotion, and lunch.
105
Jones beach has lockers, at least they did 20 years ago when I was a kid, you just have to go to one of the main beaches that have a big shower / restroom complex.
I feel the same way--it blows my mind that there aren't lockers and actual changing rooms at the NYC beaches. From Manhattan it takes an hour or more to get to Coney and the Rockaways, and if you're going to spend a few hours at the beach, you're going to probably want to buy something at some point; and no one wants to be in a wet suit for an hour on a an air concitioned train.
2
Jones Beach used to have this feature back in the 50s. We used to stash our stuff in a locker and the key was attached to an elastic band that you put on your ankle.
Please don't ask a life guard to look after your phone, etc. They actually are supposed to be safeguarding somewhat more valuable items - your lives.
66
Hike a mile to a remote beach along Lake Michigan where there are no people. Then you'll have no worries. Seriously - hollow out a book and put your wallet and phone inside. Nobody will steal an old book.
19
"Nobody will steal an old book."
Very true, during the London riots a few years ago, the only store on one block that was not looted was the book store.
Very true, during the London riots a few years ago, the only store on one block that was not looted was the book store.
23
Take just the amount of cash you need, tuck it into the shorts pocket or whatever, and leave valuables at home. Imagine you leave you bag at the bus stop with laptop and phone. You wouldn't be surprised to have it stolen. Beaches are no different. Be sensible. And do you really need to tweet and do the dreaded "staring at phone" at the beach? Chill.
6
I leave everything valuable- wallet- cash- phone- in car and double knot tie my keys onto the string of my bathing suit. Have spent long periods of time in the water, running on beach, never lost the keys, nothing to steal other than my sun tan lotion on my towel.
2
What car???
4
Tourist shops sell fake bottles of sunscreen and soda that are actually hollow hiding places.
2
Okay, so if I'm a thief I should first check out these shops and get the scoop on what they're selling making it an easy target.
3
I just had an idea! A hollowed out book!
2
Easiest and best. One of the group stay back and protect.
9
What could you possibly need a wallet or phone for at the beach? Bring a few bills and put them in the pocket of your suit or make like Marlena Deitrich and stuff them into the top of your swimming bustier. Put the car key on a lanyard and bury it under the blanket leaving just the tip lanyard exposed. VIOLA - now STOP worrying, go swim, and enjoy yourselves.
Cause I take the bus or ride my bike to the beach.
13
You mean voila? No need to take your viola. I get overly anxious about all this. Even leaving my book makes me nervous. I'm happy to know no one wants my book.
17
Great. Now the thieves are going to know all our tricks.
53
Yes, it's well-known that the #1 requested subscription in the Rikers Island library is the New York Times.
3
I always put my valuables waaayy down in the toe of my shoe...
4
you have huge shoes or teeny valuables
3
nobody would ever think to look there!
2
People have been going to the beach for thousands of years without phones. Leave yours (along with your wallet and house/hotel key) locked in your car. You also don't need very much money; bring less money than the price of your beach towel and put it under the towel. As for the car key, wear it on a chain around your neck.
20
Most car keys these days are electronic... maybe they need to design a waterproof car key
10
That's a great idea if you have a car. If you don't have one, and you're going to be away from home for several hours, it's good to have more than a couple dollars with you.
4
Use the valet key that came with your car. It's non-electric on my car (Honda CRV). I'd guess that it's also non-electric on most other cars.
3
Asking an honest-looking person (better yet, a family with kids) to watch your stuff is a good idea. But having had more than one bicycle stolen over the years, I got good advice from my mechanic: "The best lock is your eye." Put it where you can see it and don't take your eyes off it longer than it takes to dunk your head.
How much time then would it then take to get out of the water, run up the beach and catch the bike thief?
2
Get a Great Dane to sit with it. (they hate the water)
12
Just leave the stuff in your shoe. Seinfeld had a very funny bit about this.
Another NY Times created First World Problem. The folks with something worth stealing aren't going to public beaches. Indeed,they have their own private fenced off beaches.
6
When my husband and I go to the beach, I keep the phone, keys and drivers license and one credit card in a snack size zip lock bag and put that in an opaque bag, then I put that in an insulated lunch bag and put that in my beach bag and put that in the back of my beach chair, in the pocket. You would have to be a determined thief to go through all those bags to steal in front of a bunch of beach-goers but I understand that this is still possible. We go to a family beach. If I am alone, I wear one of the dorky plastic things that you wear in the water. If it's important, you don't have to care how you look.
4
Travel cables and locks are super-lightweight. Now all you need is a palm tree to wrap the cable around!
I love to snorkel in Kona, sometimes with life guards, but more likely, not. My beach valuables kit: cash/credit card/drivers license/cell phone/single car key. I have access to a low mileage, but older vehicle; much less touristy. At the beach, I lock all in the trunk or under the drivers mat, crack the front windows for temperature moderation, then take the key in a very secure pocket while in the water. Sometimes I will also swim with a credit card, or cash in my pocket. (wet money is pretty common in Kona!) My situation might differ than most families; I usually have a long snorkel and then head home.
1
Regarding the lifeguard comment, I think the person quoted meant that they drop their belongings with the lifeguard, not that they expect the lifeguard to keep watch of their things from afar. When I'm surfing, I always ask a lifeguard if they wouldn't mind me leaving my car keys/phone with them. They've always been very receptive and I don't think that's an unreasonable request. I would never ask them to watch my beach blanket, etc., when they're trying to work.
2
If the lifeguard isn't actually watching your stuff then what's the point?? Your items can be swiped in a second. Anyway-- probably against the rules to leave personal items with lifeguards most public beaches.
1
When we take the subway to Brighton Beach, we ask a nice elderly sunbathing Russian couple to keep an eye on our stuff. My pretty, Slavic-looking daughter always charms them into kindly agreeing.
11
I don't take my phone to the beach. Period. Hotel magnetic room keys, credit card, drivers license and some cash fit in the inside pocket of my beach shorts and are all waterproof.
However, if you are a woman wearing a tiny bikini...
However, if you are a woman wearing a tiny bikini...
2
Actually, I've always found that a credit card, hotel key, whatever are much safer safely tucked inside my bikini top than they ever would be in a swimming trunk pocket. Piffle to you for casting shade on us bikini wearers, Mr. FT!
4
I've done the bury the stuff in the sand, within a ziploc. In that case, it really was a necessity to have my phone because I was supposed to call for a ride when I was done. Also I had my e-reader which is almost a necessity.
I like the idea about the diaper. That's a pretty good idea.
I like the idea about the diaper. That's a pretty good idea.
9
Put in a bag that has "Windows 95 backup disks" printed on it.
Guaranteed no one will touch it.
Guaranteed no one will touch it.
26
yeah for the Real Estate Section of NYT !!!
1
where the money is
Don't bring anything you can't afford to lose. Bring just cash to buy a small amount of food and nothing else. Unplug and enjoy the scenery.
17
Agree with this comment. Interesting to note the article shows a picture of Siesta Key beach in FL. I was visiting that very beach on Easter Sunday in 2014 and witnessed a couple in distress over just having had their large cooler stolen while they were swimming. Don't take anything you don't want to lose.
That nod is not Lifeguard for, "No prob! I’d love to!" -- it means "Whatever, I've got more important things to watch."
41
The Bernie Sanders solution: Only MILLIONAYEHS and BILLIONAYEHS have any money to bring to the beach.
The Hillary Clinton solution: I gave a speech about where to put your money once, but I can't remember exactly what I said.
The Donald Trump solution: I swim with my gun, have you seen my gun, it's a great gun, really beautiful, and let me tell you, nobody's gonna touch Trump's stuff. I could shoot a burglar in the face on the beach and I wouldn't lose a single vote. We've never had a single beach robbery at Mar-a-Lago, did you know that?, I don't know why, but we also never had any Mexican or Chinese on our beach, I'm not saying anything, but you know what I'm saying. We have a beautiful beach, it's the BEST beach, YUGE beach, and everybody's jealous of our beach. Spotless.
The Hillary Clinton solution: I gave a speech about where to put your money once, but I can't remember exactly what I said.
The Donald Trump solution: I swim with my gun, have you seen my gun, it's a great gun, really beautiful, and let me tell you, nobody's gonna touch Trump's stuff. I could shoot a burglar in the face on the beach and I wouldn't lose a single vote. We've never had a single beach robbery at Mar-a-Lago, did you know that?, I don't know why, but we also never had any Mexican or Chinese on our beach, I'm not saying anything, but you know what I'm saying. We have a beautiful beach, it's the BEST beach, YUGE beach, and everybody's jealous of our beach. Spotless.
158
oh my gosh, that's priceless
7
Epic.
4
Leave a decoy sacrificial wallet, with a little cash and maybe an expired credit card or two, poorly hidden or in plain sight . Hide the real stuff as described elsewhere.
3
Depends on the beach and the country. I remember going to the beach in Rio, and leaving just my flip flops, shorts and towel on the beach. Just a few strokes underwater and then looked to see where my stuff was....gone. Yes, in Rio they take everything. And walking on baking sand in bare feet and then on roads with baking tar on them is not fun.
19
In Rio I was surrounded by a mob of little children all grabbing for my hand bag. They'd grab your breasts to distract you, then grab the bag. Some local adults finally chased them off.
1
Bonaire is the same.
2
Lived in Brazil for five years and lived in Ipanema in Rio itself--never had my stuff stolen once on that beach or any beach I ever visited all over that country.
1
Many of the people here like to preach the "disconnect" philosophy, which I suppose would be easy for people without jobs that require an "on-call" status, such a medical staff, military, or myself (system admin). In my case, I have an old ammunition can from the military. We stash our money, phones, watches in the ammo can, lock it, and use a bike chain to lock it to the nearest palm tree. Unless the thief has bolt-cutters, he isn't getting in or taking the ammo can. You can buy ammo cans and the small bolt for the lock online on auction sites.
2
On Amazon they sell a host of diversion containers. Ajax, books, deordorant bottle. Clorox container. All empty containers that you can store valuables such as jewelry. Probably not ideal to bring a bottle of clorox to the beach that might get some stares so I would stick to the empty deodorant or sunblock bottle.. but I guess that won't fit a cell phone at least not the larger iPhone 6. I would settle on an empty potato chip bag or some sort of food stuff. make it look like partly consumed food perhaps. Then there is the question of litter on the beach....
3
I put mine in a zip lock bag and duct tape it to my stomach with a fishing buoy in it. It's sort of dorky, but it works and if it comes off, it will float. And if it goes out to sea, I just use my "Find my iPhone feature" and track it down. Easy peazy!
6
Bwahaha!
2
For the last 30 years, We've been in Florida for the winter and go to the beach regularly. Never had anything stolen. I do keep half an eye on our stuff, though.
2
Don't bring valuables or anything you can't afford to lose to the beach-problem solved. There are professional beach thieves everywhere! Hawaii is paradise for petty thieves, especially Waikiki. When I lived there we used to wait and watch after people walked away from their towel/chair, then bam*, their stuff would be snatched in less than a minute, just as they were getting into the water. People with very expensive sunglasses were targeted. Bring junk ones to the beach if you intend to leave them on your towel.
*And no, we were NOT going to chase down a huge, local guy over some tourist's stuff.
*And no, we were NOT going to chase down a huge, local guy over some tourist's stuff.
6
I use a LokSak. It is waterproof to 100 feet. I zip my phone, some cash, ID, and a few credit cards and stick it in my bathing suit pocket. I even use it when I go scuba diving!
5
Put your valuables out of sight in the trunk of your locked car. Safety-pin the car key to your swimsuit (every fob I've ever had has a key you can remove). If you must take money, pin the bills with the same pin with the key - money can survive getting wet. Leave your phone with everything else in the car - you're on vacay, dude!
13
What car? I take the subway!
3
This dilemma is not meant to be solved. It is an eternal question that is essential to the whole concept of vacation. When on vacation, we attempt to leave our practical concerns behind, and yet they follow us. To truly escape, we would have to bring nothing to the beach, but we aren't capable of true escape, so we bring our phones.
11
Actually, it's an eternal question that encompasses not only the beach but your home, your business, Wall Street and Washington: (how do you keep the US from invading other countries to take their "stuff", like oilfields?).
1
Any attempt to conceal cash or valuables within a bag is naive, in my opinion. Thieves on the beach are far more inclined to pick up your bag than rummage through it. They'll look through it later when they feel safe to do so. Also you have to operate under the assumption that a thief has watched you arrive so burying your stuff is a non starter.
We go to the beach all the time here in Hawaii and we have a simple system. Phones get locked in the glove box in the car before we arrive in the parking lot. License, credit card, and the car key (no electronic fob, just the key) go into a zippered pocket in someone's bathing suit. Sometimes a "snack size" ziploc baggie with some cash in the same pocket for ice creams, etc. :)
We make it a point to buy bathing suits and sun shirts with zippered pockets so we have no worries about the keys / ID getting lost when we swim.
We go to the beach all the time here in Hawaii and we have a simple system. Phones get locked in the glove box in the car before we arrive in the parking lot. License, credit card, and the car key (no electronic fob, just the key) go into a zippered pocket in someone's bathing suit. Sometimes a "snack size" ziploc baggie with some cash in the same pocket for ice creams, etc. :)
We make it a point to buy bathing suits and sun shirts with zippered pockets so we have no worries about the keys / ID getting lost when we swim.
42
Great solution, but what if you are at a nude beach?
5
Or the police could simply do their job and keep the beach crime free, and you buy them an ice cream as thank you.
If you go to a beach with an ineffective police force, you can also bring these super loud alarms that go off when something (e.g. computer is moved). Wrap your valuables with a shirt together with the alarm thingy.
If anyone touches your stuff, alarms goes off, you organize a linch party to catch the perp and administer beach justice.
If you go to a beach with an ineffective police force, you can also bring these super loud alarms that go off when something (e.g. computer is moved). Wrap your valuables with a shirt together with the alarm thingy.
If anyone touches your stuff, alarms goes off, you organize a linch party to catch the perp and administer beach justice.
7
I bought a waterproof case for my phone - I'll be taking it in the water with me.
2
I've been to beaches all over the world and have never worried about anyone stealing my stuff! And, I'm usually a worrier!
1
Goodness, some of you need to chill. Maybe the phone is necessary to receive a call from someone planning or arranging a get-together later that day. Some people read on their phones. I read on an iPad that I take to the beach. I'm delighted to read these suggestions for keeping it safe while I cool off in the water.
7
The only thing I've ever had stolen from the beach was my bottle of sunscreen (that stuff isn't cheap!) so don't put your valuables in an empty bottle...
8
My trick: Bring a significant other/ traveling companion who does not swim. This works great!
11
Something that happened to my niece. After some time in the water, she and boyfriend came back to her beach site to find everything gone (umbrella, chairs, towels, etc.) Walked down the beach a ways, and some people were using it all and one person had put my niece's T-shirt when my niece spotted them! They got most of their stuff back without incident, but really?!! Corpus Christi beach area. Happened many years ago. How can one prevent umbrellas and towels from being snatched?
13
I always just ask someone nearby that seems trustworthy and has been there for a while. Usually the mom and/or dad of 3 kids that have been there since 8am aren't looking for the perfect opportunity to swipe someone's wallet and dash off. But I wouldn't ask a lone person who arrived 20 minutes ago with just a towel and fanny pack.
I always think it is nervy to ask someone to watch your stuff. What if you aren't back for an hour? It tethers them to their blanket - not very nice to do.
30
I saw this today in a marina:
Hefty enough to hold large electronics or multiple accessories, this Dry Pak® Multi-purpose Case is great at doing one thing - and that is keeping things dry. Sized at 6 in x 9 in and made with clear heavy gauge vinyl, this Dry Pak® is a must-have for every adventurer. A yellow sealing clip helps this Dry Pak® to stand out and the D-rings sewn to two corners provide a place for latching. Guard your gear with this multi-purpose case." Find a strap and put it over your shoulder, or like a holster. It might look dorkey, but it is better than losing your money and gear.
Hefty enough to hold large electronics or multiple accessories, this Dry Pak® Multi-purpose Case is great at doing one thing - and that is keeping things dry. Sized at 6 in x 9 in and made with clear heavy gauge vinyl, this Dry Pak® is a must-have for every adventurer. A yellow sealing clip helps this Dry Pak® to stand out and the D-rings sewn to two corners provide a place for latching. Guard your gear with this multi-purpose case." Find a strap and put it over your shoulder, or like a holster. It might look dorkey, but it is better than losing your money and gear.
1
I would never ask a lifeguard to look after my stuff. Their job is to watch swimmers in the water, not the valuables left on the beach.
34
Bring a decomissioned cell phone (you know the ones you are always meaning to recycle and are too environmentally guilty to throw away) and leave it laying casually on your blanket.
4
I thought of a solution to this before the 'Drone Age' - a personal blimp. You put your belongings in the basket and set it loose to hover above the beach. around you neck is a waterproof remote control that will call it back when you are ready.
6
How about not bringing it in the first place. Take a "staycation". Disconnect. Be with your family for a change -- yes kids too. Learn to enjoy yourself, your surroundings. Is that not why you went there in the first place? Live your life.
As a last resort for the truly desperate, lock it in the boot of your car parked some miles away.
As a last resort for the truly desperate, lock it in the boot of your car parked some miles away.
46
Even so, you need a safe place for the keys.
Where should I put my car keys so they don't get grabbed? Oh, there are good suggestions to use here.
My phone is also my camera. I like to take pix, especially of the stunning sunsets at Clearwater Beach.
I live where the picture is taken.... Siesta Key. When I go snorkeling at Point of Rocks (at the southern tip of the beach crescent), I make sure to keep my snorkel bag free of anything that I would lose sleep over should the bag happen to 'grow legs and walk away' while I was in the water.
26
Ask a lifeguard to watch your stuff? Really? So he or she can be distracted from guarding...lives?
270
I'm pretty sure the whole point is that no one is going to steal your bag if it's at the foot of the lifeguard's chair.
2
65 years in Hawai’i--the Lifeguards WILL WATCH your stuff.
Best answer--take NOTHING with you. Buy $1.99 slippers (flip-flops) at CVS or ABC stores. Buy CHEAP bamboo mats for $1 each...buy ten t-shirts for $10 and leave your danged phones at home!
You want pictures? BUY POSTCARDS. The pro photographers take better pix than you. Leave your card key at the desk. There is NO hiding place that the local kids don’t know about. Also--NEVER ask a kid (someone under 40) to take your picture---your camera or phone will be GONE in 15 seconds. And they are such CUTE kids!
Put NOTHING in your trunk. Kids can punch a lock and steal your stuff in seconds. Everyone here knows which are rental cars. Actually if you are on Oahu--Honolulu and Waikiki--don’t bother renting a car---you WILL get lost. Every street starts with a K or a W. Buses are cheap, clean, run on natural gas, and the bus drivers are the best. Just say where you want to go and they WILL get you on the right number bus and where to get it. Bus drivers work for a private company and easily one of the best jobs on the island--so they are VERY nice to tourists.
You leave anything out or in a car...it’s gone.
And EVERYONE knows the “dirty diaper trick” or sticking it under a towel.
BTW--NO lightning in Hawai’i--not enough land mass to form thunderstorms. I always thought it was funny to watch people run in from ocean when it would rain. Rain is liquid sunshine and no one melts.
Best answer--take NOTHING with you. Buy $1.99 slippers (flip-flops) at CVS or ABC stores. Buy CHEAP bamboo mats for $1 each...buy ten t-shirts for $10 and leave your danged phones at home!
You want pictures? BUY POSTCARDS. The pro photographers take better pix than you. Leave your card key at the desk. There is NO hiding place that the local kids don’t know about. Also--NEVER ask a kid (someone under 40) to take your picture---your camera or phone will be GONE in 15 seconds. And they are such CUTE kids!
Put NOTHING in your trunk. Kids can punch a lock and steal your stuff in seconds. Everyone here knows which are rental cars. Actually if you are on Oahu--Honolulu and Waikiki--don’t bother renting a car---you WILL get lost. Every street starts with a K or a W. Buses are cheap, clean, run on natural gas, and the bus drivers are the best. Just say where you want to go and they WILL get you on the right number bus and where to get it. Bus drivers work for a private company and easily one of the best jobs on the island--so they are VERY nice to tourists.
You leave anything out or in a car...it’s gone.
And EVERYONE knows the “dirty diaper trick” or sticking it under a towel.
BTW--NO lightning in Hawai’i--not enough land mass to form thunderstorms. I always thought it was funny to watch people run in from ocean when it would rain. Rain is liquid sunshine and no one melts.
19
Nutschler: how many people have stand-alone cameras anymore? they use their smartphones to take pictures! and you may need your phone at the beach, for a 1000 reasons (both practical and those that are rude & self-involved).
Anyways: sure a professional will take better photos than I can...but not of ME or my family. If I take picture on vacation, it's to remember US -- not especially to have pictures of sites I could easily look up online anyways.
Anyways: sure a professional will take better photos than I can...but not of ME or my family. If I take picture on vacation, it's to remember US -- not especially to have pictures of sites I could easily look up online anyways.
You are on the beach for pete's sake, leave the valuable crap at home!
92
The Aquavault will keep your stuff safe and with another product, your cell phone dry. Look at their stuff, I have their newest flex safe it's great. Also the phone case, nothing safer than taking your phone IN the ocean WITH you - although i see @wiltonmom already beat me to this suggestion.
19
Oh. no. God forbid you spend a few minutes without your phone. What will you do instead of incessantly staring at your hand? OMG! You might have to YIKES - talk to a real person! And then of course, there is the separation anxiety that will require some serious psycho therapy. You poor things...its bad enough people have turned every square inch of the world into their own personal phone booths much to the annoyance of everyone else. And now the ocean? Is no place a respite fro the anti-social social media addicts?
6
I have a handy waterproof pouch--sort of a mini-fanny pack thing, that has an adjustable belt and click buckle. The top opening part folds down a few times, then is secured by a smaller click buckle. I've had it for years, works great. I forget the brand, unfortunately.
25
I think they are called dry bags. I just used one in Hawaii in November to carry my cell phone, car keys and driver's license. Straps around my waist, never knew it was there while I was snorkeling.
2
Can you buy one at an outdoors store like REI?
1
Stake a spot near enough to a family or a group, where there's usually someone there at all times, so that your stuff appears to be part of their camp.
46
I bring only the money that I need and one credit card and driver's license. Phone goes into separate ziploc. They go into a strong ziploc bag and I slide it down the front of my bathing suit where it won't slip out. Not the most glamorous looking but have never had a problem.
15
Get an AquaVault - great deterrent! wew.theaquavault.com
12
What prevents someone from stealing the vault?
I hope lifeguards are watching the water and not anyone's stuff! There's a reason they switch out so often - a lifeguard's job is to quite literally keep their eyes trained on the water at all times to look for the subtle signs of drowning and to help with medical emergencies on the shore when needed. It's not like babysitting where they can look away for periods of time! Please don't ask lifeguards to watch your things.
322
Lifeguards should be watching people in the water, not your stuff!
185
Without plugging a specific product, I bought a beach bag a couple of years ago that has a simple chain and combination lock built in. You simply chain the bag to your chair when you leave it unattended. While could probably be defeated fairly quickly, it will stop the simple snatch and run type thieves. (If you Google "beach bag with lock" you'll find several variations.)
22
Please don't ask a lifeguard to watch your stuff! People seem to forget that a lifeguard's job is to watch the water/be on alert for other dangerous situations on the beach. They are not working so as to guard your bags, babysit your children, or else be handed tasks that are your responsibility. Lifeguards generally would love to help you! But please, unless you are the only person on the beach, they really have much more important things to focus on.
167
As a former lifeguard, I couldn’t agree more. Any lifeguard who agrees to watch your stuff should be fired for either actually watching your stuff and putting people’s lives in danger, or for not actually watching your stuff but providing you with a false sense of security.
142
And they should just say "no".
45
You could wrap it in the NY Times Real Estate section. Only rich people read that.
368
Even better, wrap it in the section with the elitist weddings feature--only the one- percenters read that!
111
I worry more about the rich people.
63
Really? I guess you just heard about it at work then.
http://saferswimmer.com/
Keeps your items dry and safe, while you swim or frolic in the water.
Keeps your items dry and safe, while you swim or frolic in the water.
21
You beat me to the punch. Just attach with a lanyard and you won't even know you have it since it float. If you are by yourself, it's not a bad idea anyways and if you are swimming on a busy beach with other water craft people won't hit you. Most open water swim races require something like this. Really, none of the other ideas are as foolproof or convenient. I'm sure beach thieves know to look under the towel for "the good stuff".
3
Thanks - looks like the best solution yet, plus it has safety benefits.
3
Would one's butler not guard it?
247
Only if the beach was on the inner circle of your moat.
63
Or your bodyguard(s).
1