To ask what you do with your belongings when you go to the beach solo?

I would! I've been dreaming of taking myself off to a beach for the day but I've got nobody to go with and I wouldn't take the car.

Yes

I wouldn’t leave my phone on a beach in a million years!

as pp's have said - take minimal valuables and then stick those that you do take in a waterproof pouch. I've just used cheapy ones and they've been fine. to be extra careful I've either double-bagged them (sandwich bag within a 'proper' one) or put the waterproof bag within a tow float - the additional bonus of a tow float is once inflated you can hold onto it for a lazy float as well.

I also do the same whenever I go paddleboarding as need to take my car keys with me. Never had an issue.

Someone should put the lockers at beaches, it'd be a real money maker since so many people would use them

Either leave your camera at the place you are staying or get a dry bag and take it in the water with you.

You're making this very hard work. People are giving you cheap answers to your (not really a) problem and you're complaining that they're not expensive enough! Why should they be more expensive? It's just cheap plastic.

I don't leave my stuff. I paddle in the sea carrying my bag.

I don't take anything I can't afford to lose.

So leave phone and credit cards and Kindle at the apartment.

Take a bit of actual cash (rare sight!) and a paper book. And some suncream.

That way I'm not bothered the whole time I'm in the water.

(I did buy a phone waterproof lanyard thing once but didn't fully trust it so just leave phone behind)

Would be trickier if on full day out and having to carry other belongings. If I REALLY had to, I'd bury them under my beach towel. Assuming most beach thieves are opportunistic and just wanting to grab and go. But still more of a risk than I could relax in the water with, really.

I use a tow float for valuables. They’re also good for being spotted.

i have several now of various types.

i have this one:

https://zone3.com/collections/buoys-tow-floats?adscale=1&utm_campaign=PMax_GB+%5B-+UK+-+Mens%5D+Google+Ads+UK&utm_id=23758682147&utm_medium=paid+shopping&device=m&creativeId=&network=x&utm_source=google&site_source_name=adscale_pmax&tw_source=google&tw_adid=&tw_campaign=23758682147&tw_kwdid=&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23763318202&gbraid=0AAAAADx1PEbj2fVid5v5h_RnX6l0LWxx3&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIkLaR_-_elAMVFZpQBh2DbxqMEAAYASAAEgKdpfD_BwE

the cheap waterproof cases for phones also do actually work (somewhat to my surprise)

Get a dry bag we use them. My other half uses it when take camera to beach the essentially float https://www.google.com/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChsSEwj_4Jbl796UAxVQllAGHbetJ3YYACICCAEQPBoCZGc&co=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw8uTQBhAdEiwAVvtJymtReAt3qrCctjYsRBCaEhmAVrUOAlFzorCXEs20fk_m_NY3qL4u9hoCljAQAvD_BwE&sph=&cce=1&sig=AOD64_1lMvurTGVi4ueRvHw9eL0ahUUz_w&ctype=5&q=&ved=2ahUKEwitt5Dl796UAxUHa0EAHcsCJTwQwg8oAHoECAwQQQ&adurl=

Locally I leave my stuff on the beach all the time without concern.

thinking on it, I do this everywhere I swim,
but away from home I’d be more minimalistic with what I take to the beach.

I went to Rhodes for two weeks by myself and was on the beach from 7am to 7pm. I left my belongs on my sunbed when swimming, which was often as it was over 40. I don't take much tho just a cover up towel and ereader. My phone and about ten euro to cover water for the day were ina plastic pouch round my neck for swimm8ng.

Any I’ve had have been fabulous (not expensive) test at home with tissues in it in the sink. As long as you follow the sealing instructions, they work fine. I always put my phone in one to go in the sea on holiday as can also take photos too. I also have a bigger one that doubles as a float for lake swimming in the uk. Phone, car keys, even towel/clothes in that one if needed.

But they'd just nick the safe, surely?

Take my spare manual car key, lock everything valuable in the car and wear the key round my neck. Just take towel and change of clothes onto the beach with me.

Agree - I have a similar pouch (didn't cost much) and have used it for several hours of swimming and not had any issues - and as others have said, test at home first just in case.

The tow floats mentioned by other posters and me would fit a lot more stuff in, though, if that was a priority! Mine hasn't leaked in 3 years of regular use and pretty much always having a phone and so on in there - I'm also lazy and often just put my phone in loose - although I'd definitely put a camera in a separate additional dry bag.

These are the ones! Always kept my stuff completely dry

I have some of the transparent pouches and they do work.treated them in the bath a d sink thoroughly before use. I put a folded up tissue in and checked if it got wet.

https://amzn.eu/d/0dE8KRo4. I used this tow bag. Phones in waterproof pouches first for double security. Clothes and towel left on beach didn't get in the way of swimming and great peace of mind.

They're made of sturdy material and the opening folds over several times and closes with velcro. You could also put things in a sealy bag inside. I'm not saying none of them ever fail, and there will be an element of user error, but on the whole they're pretty reliable.

where i am on holiday the sun beds for hire have a safe attached to the umbrella pole

I swim at a local beach often , and if I didn’t leave my stuff I’d never get to go swimming! I put my bag under a towel close to the edge of the water with a rock on it and swim near it, though it’s a quiet beach and I’m usually closer to the bag than any dog walkers etc. once I’ve swum I take stuff up to a nicer sitting/ drying spot in dunes.

i probably wouldn’t do this if on holiday alone though. In lake bled I left most stuff in the hotel. On a recent hike in Portugal I wanted to swim in an amazing waterfall and it was really busy so I asked a family to watch my stuff.

it is a bjt annoying. Some friends swear by waterproof pouches but I’d worry they would leak.