With the warmer weather the last few weekends my wife and I have had the opportunity to get our kids out on the water. Watching after two boys under the age of two and half on the water is full time job for both us. Keeping up with the sunscreen applications just adds to the list of our chores. My wife and I have both spent our entire lives baking in the sun; and while our parents have always been on us about wearing sunscreen from our childhood we have both been rather lax about it until the last couple of years. Now with the need to protect our kids as well as ourselves we are attempting to be more consciousness in regards to our sun exposure.
To be flat honest I still dislike wearing sunscreen, I hate the greasy feel, the constant reapplying, and the burning eyes when I get in the water or sweat heavily. Experts tell us skin cancer is rapidly becoming the most common form of cancer and it is also the most preventable type. Recognizing the risk, I now use a combination of the methods below to cut down on my exposure.
Limit Activity During Peak Times - This method hardly ever works for me unless it corresponds to the tide I am fishing; if you can stay out the sun during the hottest parts of the day, between 11 am and 4 pm you will limit your exposure during the suns most intense harmful rays.
Lightweight Full Brim Hat While I prefer a visor on hot days due to the increase in air flow around my head, the visor offers no protection to the back of the neck or the tops of the ears. A full brim canvas, nylon, or straw hat will shed the majority of the sun from your entire head. Tilly Hats offer a good variety of canvas, and nylon hats and most of their products will float if dropped in the water.
Long Sleeves Farmers have been wearing long sleeve light weight shirts for decades while plowing fields in the summer heat. Columbia Sportswear and others like them have come a long way with their nylon guide shirts. The large wind flap in the rear offers great air flow and the oversize pockets offe