Frequently Asked Questions

Our Patented design is simple: a lightweight canopy attached to a single supportive arch.

This design allows an ocean breeze to pass through the front opening of the canopy, and because the back of the canopy is not tied down, the Shibumi Shade cannot "catch" wind and be lifted from the sand.

And because the fabric is so lightweight, it takes only minimal breeze to keep the canopy floating comfortably. (About 3 mph)

*Pro tip - check the current wind conditions at your beach, and view wind forecasts anywhere in the world here: https://www.windfinder.com

• In general, before storing your Shibumi Shade, brush as much sand as possible off of the poles and the canopy.
• When you get home, in your yard for example, take the poles out and brush off sand, and lightly tap the pole segments so that any sand inside them can fall out.
• Occasionally give the poles a light rinse in fresh water, but allow them to dry out completely before storing them again.
• A yard is a great place to take out the canopy to shake it out so that excess sand can fall off. It won't take long for the canopy fabric to dry, so just let it air out a bit, and as it dries, the sand will tend to come off more easily.
• Sand will brush off of the carrying bag easily, so flip the bag completely inside-out and back again and shake out all the excess sand.
• Once you’ve removed as much sand as possible and the canopy has dried out, then just stuff the canopy back in to the bag like normal, and re-insert the poles in to the pole sleeve.
• We recommend storing your Shibumi Shade somewhere that is relatively climate controlled so that it's not too hot and not too damp. A garage may work just fine (if it's dry), but the trunk of your car, for example, would probably not be good!

The Shibumi Shade needs a breeze in order to work properly! We find that most beaches get a sufficient (2-5 mph) and consistent breeze probably more than 90% of the time.

However, there are times at the beach when the wind just simply won't cooperate, and that can make Shibumi Shade use difficult. For example, earlier in the day, before the air temperature has had a chance to warm up enough to drive a good breeze, the wind may be too light for ideal use. However, most typical days at the beach are sufficiently windy, particularly by the afternoon.

Unlike other common tents and umbrellas, the Shibumi Shade cannot catch the wind and blow down the beach. This makes the Shibumi Shade a safer shade option. However, prolonged exposure to high wind conditions may damage the back seam that flaps in the wind.

We're working hard to make Shibumi Shades more indestructible every year, but we also understand that there may be physical limitations to the material flapping in the wind. In general, it will be best practice to limit exposing your Shibumi Shade to winds that are greater than 15-20+ mph on the beach.

If it's too windy to be comfortable on the beach, we recommend packing up and calling it a day. Fortunately, your Shibumi Shade can be packed up again in a matter of minutes!

The good news is, even if the back corner or seams are damaged, the Shibumi Shade will still do a great job of providing shade. In many cases, one of our free repair kits will make things good as new.

Under typical conditions (winds between 2 and 12 mph), the Shibumi Shade does flap in the breeze, but we find that the noise it creates is very faint or not noticeable. In fact, most folks tell us the sound has a calming effect, with the white noise helping them to relax or nod off.

At higher wind speeds (15-20+ mph), the flapping sound is noticeable, and may even be too loud if you are particularly noise sensitive. Extra loud flapping may be an indication that it's time to pack up your Shibumi Shade for the day. In these conditions, normal umbrellas and tents will have reached their limits, but fortunately, your Shibumi Shade won't go tumbling down the beach.

Definitely. Set-up is easy, though an extra set of hands can't hurt.

The Shibumi Shade will easily accommodate 6 adults sitting comfortably side by side in the shade, with room leftover for bags, coolers, beach gear, etc!

When you buy a Shibumi Shade from us, your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed!

If you're not satisfied, no worries! Please let us know so that we can make it right. We'll be glad to provide Free Repair Kits for small nicks and tears, and poles can be easily swapped out.

We’re dedicated to making the world's best beach shade, and our number one priority is simply that you love your Shibumi Shade. If anything goes wrong, please let us know - we'll be glad to help!

help@shibumishade.com

For now, we plan to stick with the same size and the classic Blue/Teal color combo. We love the way these colors complement the colors of the ocean, but also, having only one color and size option helps us keep our operation more simple as we do our best to keep up with demand!

As of now, Ocean Isle Beach, NC has some of the most restrictive rules in North Carolina prohibiting canopies like the Shibumi Shade. (Ocean Isle will only allow traditional umbrellas with a single pole).

Similarly, between Memorial Day and Labor Day, Myrtle Beach, SC also has rules prohibiting anything besides traditional umbrellas.

To be sure - please check your local beach’s rules and regulations regarding canopies. And if you visit a beach that currently has rules that would prohibit the Shibumi Shade, please consider calling or writing your town council to let them know you’d love to see the Shibumi Shade allowed!

*A quick note on beach canopy regulations:

Beaches and towns that currently prohibit large canopies and tents other than traditional umbrellas usually put these rules in place for a couple of reasons: (1) When larger tents break or are damaged by the wind, they often become large trash items left on the beach for the town to pick up. Obviously, this is costly and unsightly for the town. (2) Sometimes, large tents are so complicated to set up and secure in the sand, that beach-goers are tempted to leave their tent set up over night. This creates several problems on the beach, but most importantly it interferes with sea turtle nesting. Shibumi Shade smartly solves both of these big problems because it is virtually indestructible in the wind, and it is so lightweight and easy to assemble/disassemble in a matter of minutes.

“Shibumi” is a Japanese design concept defined by the elegance of simplicity. We feel this description fits perfectly with what we hoped to achieve with the Shibumi Shade - an elegantly simple design that works effortlessly with the wind to create the perfect beach shade.

Shibumi also represents a common thread for the three of us, as it happens to be the name of the small apartment complex each of us lived in during our years in Chapel Hill while attending UNC (Dane & Alex '09, Scott '12).