I've used tape quite a bit on big aircraft and small. However, much of the time, it's not the tape that's required, but proper operation of the engine and propeller that makes the difference.
When you say sandy, do you mean blowing dust or sand in the air, or are you operating from hard packed beaches or a desert floor?
If you're operating from a sandy surface or loose chips, the best thing you can do for your propeller is minimize ground operating time, add slow power for takeoff, leave the flaps up until you're ready to break ground, and do runups before you land so you don't have to operate the engine at high power settings on the ground.
In flight, sand isn't a big problem for your prop.