Rent a Beach Umbrella in Aruba or Bring Your Own?

Packing a beach umbrella seems like the cheap, simple option. Then you get to the sand in Aruba, and the wind has other ideas.

The work of bringing your own

• Getting it to Aruba, or buying one when you land
• Fitting it in the car, along with everything else
• Carrying it across hot, soft sand
• Digging a hole deep enough to hold it
• Taking it down, shaking off the sand and carrying it back

The wind is the real problem

Aruba is known for its steady trade winds. They feel great on a hot day, but they're hard on a light umbrella pushed into loose sand. A gust can flip it inside out or pull it out of the ground and send it tumbling down the beach, toward your family or someone else's. A loose umbrella is a real hazard, and once it's gone you're out of shade for the day.

Then you have to keep checking it

A home-planted umbrella tends to work itself loose. So every so often someone gets up to re-dig it, tilt it or hold on to it during a gust. That's time you wanted to spend in the water.

What renting gets you

• One big umbrella and two beach chairs, up and anchored before you arrive
• Nothing to carry, plant or pack up
• Your set held under your name from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
• Freedom to leave and come back whenever you like
• Up to 4 extra chairs per set if you need them, $25 each per day

Which one is right for you?

If you already own a heavy-duty umbrella with a proper anchor, and you don't mind the setup, bringing it can work. For most visitors with a few precious beach days, it's easier to let someone else do the work. Book your set at Arashi for $120.00 a day, all in.