The Best Ways to Keep Your Valuables Safe at the Beach

Nothing screams “I’m definitely not a container for valuables” like an empty sunscreen bottle. Clean out an old bottle and stash your cash, keys, and tiny valuables inside when you go swimming, snorkeling, or surfing. People don’t typically walk around the beach and pick up rogue bottles of sunscreen so this should be a relatively reliable way to make sure your stuff doesn’t get swiped.

Paper coffee cups can also be adequate receptacles for your small goods. It’s best not to use soda cans as there are people who canvas beaches to collect and recycle these in many countries.

Cunning crooks thrive on not being seen. Therefore, one of the best places to park yourself for your sunshine sojourn is right next to a lifeguard. A thief will not want to risk getting caught in the act so they are less likely to operate around someone whose job it is to be vigilant. If there is a lifeguard on duty on your chosen beach, strive to be in their line of sight.

If you want to be able to switch off without worrying about a pesky pickpocket running off with your prized possessions when you’re out in the water, make like a pirate and dig a hole to hide your personal effects in the sand. Bring a small Ziploc bag and something to dig with and scoop out a couple of layers of sand—but don’t go so deep that you won’t be able to find your bag. Bury the sealed bag and then lay your towel out on top of the submerged Ziploc. Then, place heavy things like books on top to mark the spot.

Bear in mind that this strategy works best if you have arrived early to the beach and don’t have an audience watching as you dig your hole. If there are already other beachgoers present, try to be as inconspicuous as possible when concealing your stuff this way.

Sticky-fingered opportunists won’t typically steal your beach towel, they’ll take the items on and around it that appear to be of high value. Beat them at their own game by purchasing a reversible towel with a clandestine zipper pocket where you can conveniently store things that are precious to you. Lay your towel down with the pocket side on the sand so nobody can see that this compartment exists.

One of the best ways to keep your valuables safe and sound on the beach is by not letting them out of your sight. There are cross-body or backpack-style airtight dry bags that you can go swimming with. Waterproof fanny packs are also great for hand-free swimming with all your essential items in tow. These waist pouches might not be showing up at Paris Fashion Week any time soon, but they’ll give you peace of mind while you’re in the water perfecting your breaststroke.

If you prefer not to leave your items unsupervised, take them with you by literally wearing them. It may be news that you can purchase clothes with waterproof pockets for safeguarding small items like bank cards or pricey smartphones. Dry Pocket Apparel for instance sells swim shorts with an in-built dry bag pocket that enables safe, dry swimming up to 100 feet deep, a great investment for beach bums everywhere.

The beach is a wonderful place to make connections as we lose our inhibitions and our senses are heightened. Find a friendly-looking person and ask if they wouldn’t mind keeping an eye on your belongings. If you’re on your own, single out another solo traveler who would also benefit from having an extra pair of eyes, or look for a family with kids. Suggest “working” in shifts looking after each other’s stuff and offer to buy them an ice cream to sweeten the deal and repay their kindness.

Finding a beach buddy is still a risky strategy as they are strangers to you after all but at least if they end up playing hide and no seek with your possessions, you’ll be able to draw on your conversation to describe them when giving a police report.

Don’t tempt thieves by flaunting your expensive items like jewelry and tech gear. Phones should always be kept out of direct sunlight anyway. Your beach bag can also be a giveaway. If you’re carrying a beach bag that’s emblazoned with the name of the city or town you’re visiting in bold, bright text, it signals that you’re not from there and might not know the lay of the land. Blending in rather than standing out will make you less of a target.

Triumph over thieves by using artful decoys. Hollow out an old book (preferably hardcover) and place your valuables inside, hide your e-reader in a magazine, use your water cooler for more than just drinks, or showcase a dummy wallet with only bogus cards in it. Tampon boxes and scrunched-up diapers are some of the last places pickpockets will think to look. You can take things one step further by smothering some Nutella or melted chocolate on the diaper to give the illusion that it’s soiled. Nobody will be touching that. Food packaging like Pringles containers or biscuit boxes can also be the perfect disguise.

A whole industry of purpose-built decoy products exists such as faux hair brushes, jump ropes, and water bottles with secret compartments that fit credit cards, AirPods, and cold hard cash. Buy one and never let a petty thief ruin your pretty beach day again.

Since a beach umbrella or sun lounger might be too heavy to run away with and not discreet at all for a criminal to try to poach, a practical option for keeping your gear out of prying hands is using a lock to secure your bags to a beach chair or other hefty, hard-to-move objects. There are special bags and combination lock portable safes that you can buy that can be affixed to something sturdy and unyielding. When shopping around, ensure that the product is slash-proof so nobody can cut into the bag or chain. Look into the portable beach security products from Safego, Lewis N. Clark, or AquaVault which appeared on Shark Tank.

They might not be prevalent everywhere, but certain beaches have locker services, especially in tourism-focused beach towns. Stash your stuff at the nearest communal coin locker or use the Bounce app to identify nearby hotels, dry cleaners, delis, and cafes where you can store your luggage of all sizes safely.

It might be hard to fathom going to the beach empty-handed without a phone for music, an e-reader, or a camera for snapping sunset shots. But if you’d like to have a worry-free time in the waves, consider leaving your most precious items in your car or at home or only bringing the bare necessities like your beach towel, sunscreen, and perhaps a small amount of cash. A minimalist approach can liberate you from stress.

If you are bringing a bank card, have only one of them with you so all your cards aren’t taken and you are not left without a single valid means of payment should you become the victim of theft. Opt for a magazine or book over a pricier Kindle and never bring your passport along to the beach. Sometimes, the best way to enjoy the beach is with nothing but the sand between your toes and the sun on your skin.