| Sun protective clothing is essential for anyone who spends a lot of time in the sun, even if it's
just on the weekends. If you are swimming, surfing, diving, windsurfing, riding a personal watercraft,
or anything where you get wet, you need to wear a rash guard type of shirt.
T-shirts generally provide poor sun protection. The sun will burn you right through a thin cotton T. White shirts are especially poor protection. Get a darker colored t-shirt. You can buy high SPF t-shirts that provide very good protection. They have a tighter weave and also are chemically treated to protect against solar radiation. You buy them on the internet. You can buy short sleeve or long sleeve SPF shirts. Obviously the longs sleeves provide better protection.
Beachhunter says "Use rash guard shirts, t-shirts with SPF sun protection, and SPF clothing." SPF swimsuits and pants are also available. If you are out in a boat or if you are fishing from a pier you need to protect your legs too. Even if the sun isn't shining directly on you, the reflection of UVA and UVB rays from the water is intense. The next best sun protection is a good sunscreen. |
Rash guards are shirts or body suits made of stretchy fabric that fits close to the skin. They are easy
to find on the internet. They come in all prices for all budgets. You can buy rash guards for
children too. Rash guards have the added benefit of protecting you from mild stinging creatures like
jellyfish and seaweeds. I wouldn't count on them to protect against dangerous jellyfish, but they are better
than nothing.They generally have an SPF of about 50, meaning they block about 98% of the sun's rays.