First use, almost impossible to put up (I''m a mom w hubby out of town often) with two kids, 10 and 5... I''m pretty handy with things like this, but took me a WHILE to get it pitched... just to have it snap in winds about 13-15 MPH, the right side snapped, the direction the wind was blowing... Was at a beach on Atlantic side, would definitely reconsider being on the PAC or ATL coasts... maybe OK for good conditions in the Gulf of Mexico, as I used to be a resident there.

We used our shelter during relatively windy conditions by using sand anchors and it was great,  a worthwhile investment if you want to sit at the beach.  Additionally we supplemented an umbrella for side shade.  We would improve with some sort of awing you could spread out on the sunny side.  We named her Shelly .

Much harder to set up than a beach umbrella and in spite of that provides less shade. Worthless and annoying under windy conditions. Its main advantage is portability.

I love the tent. It shields you from the sun, it's tall and spacious, easy to carry and pretty easy to put together. The directions are sown in to the bag that carries the tent so you always know how to put it together. When it was windy, the stakes that held the tent down worked beautifully. The only part that was a little difficult was putting the 3rd pole in. This required extra strength. Also, when it is later in the day and the sun is lower, the tent does not shield you from the sun as well.