It depends where I am paddling. Open water lakes and rivers I generally just use a ball cap. If I’m in on a small body of water or lazy river I use a Tilley Hat. That way if I have to pop a bug net on it keeps it away from my skin.
I had a Bora Bora Booney and hated it. The brim is uncontrollable and flopped in my face and otherwise did what it wanted, and the chinstrap irritated my ears. I chucked it in a donation bin and got an Aussie Breezer from LL Bean. Worlds of difference; the brim keeps its shape, chinstrap is properly located, and the mesh crown does a truly amazing job of keeping my head cool.
Among outdoor people by age 70:
You can tell the ones that don’t wear hats. They tend to have scars on their scalps and noses and other places.
You can tell the ones that wore ball caps. They tend to have scars on their temples and tops of the ears.
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Tilley hat for the past 25 years
I have the same complaint about the Bora Bora hat. It’s nice for near-calm winds or maybe as a general outdoor/hiking hat.
It all depends on the situation; I wear lots of hats, in more ways than one…
BOB
P.S.Always “wear” your bike hat (sitting on pavement). Loosely strap it down on top of gear and you can loose it in the middle of a desert in New Mexico…which is exactly what I did!
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Tilly
Goretex Outdoor Research Seattle Sombrero like this blue one (I have 3 of them – lost and replaced the first one, then found #1 again and got #3 as a gift) and an Outback Trading crushable oilskin Madison River are my two favorite paddling hat styles. Both have wide stiff brims and protect from sun and rain.
For punkie, biting gnat and black fly season I have an older Ex Officio boonie style with a full drop-down micromesh headnet built into a pocket in the crown.
I recently saw some really cheap Tilleys in Costco which sent me down a rabbit hole - it looks like many Tilley hats are now made in China.
I have several Outdoor Research hats, and fully agree the Seattle Sombrero is an excellent piece of gear for rainy days. The OR sun hats have some good features (comfortable, light, packable, quick-drying), but being made of thin/light material, I find they loose their shape after only a few seasons of hard use. Still, fair value I suppose.
I just ordered the Lonix Ranger, based on a recommendation from myccr (and having had one many years ago), and am optimistic the Lonix will be as good or better than the Tilley.
I wear a Guide Gear Flats Cap by Cabelas. It is a longer billed than a ball cap, is nylon with vents, and has a cape on the back.
Best thing about it is that is has survived at least a dozen tripe through the washer and dryer with no damage.
The other best thing about is that the rigid bill stays out of my line of sight on windy days, or when I am in the fast boat.
I lucked out at the closeout store again. They had Columbia “Bell Ranch Boonies” for $5 in a good khaki color, and all hats were another 50% off. I couldn’t find any info online for the Bell Ranch hat, but it looks identical to the Bora Bora. Perhaps it was a Bora Bora given an exclusive name for a specific retailer.
As others have reported, the brim on the Bora Bora is too floppy for windy conditions, but its a very comfortable ventilated hat for low-wind kayak days, hiking, mowing, etc. I bought a bunch at that price.
On the water a brimmed hat with tie down, sunglasses and sunscreen. Carry a muff for when you start to get burned.
I mostly wear long sleeves and long pants even in the heat. Get wet if you get hot.
The original, Tilley T3 Cotton Duck hat. It has served me well over many years, in any condition I have been in. Wouldn’t be without it. When I need more side sun protection, I turn to a Buff.
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We use Seattle Sombreos most of the time.
For hot, sunny days I use an old Sequel hat. I think it was called the Desert Rhat. It’s the kind that looks like a baseball cap with a large brim and a cape.
For warm but not sunny outings, I’ll sometimes use a baseball style cap.
Kid and i each have one of the original tarp hats, they’re great (but they sink pretty fast).
I’m on my 2nd Tilley which replaced the first that the sun had basically fried.
I also have a Seattle Sombrero but seldom wear it because it’s usually too hot here.
Ha, I am on my 4th or 5th, smile. Over a 25 year period, but I am hard on my hats.
You probably remember the lively discussions, aka pissing contests, regarding Tilly hats. They had the only size that fit my big head comfortably. I wish I had discovered them years before.
My dermatologist doesn’t regret my late discovery.
Smile, yes, they can get people exercised.
And it just so happens I was just at my dermatologist for a checkup last week. When he looked at my bald head, he said your head looks really good, do you wear a hat?
Many hats will protect you from the sun, of course. But my Tilley does so many other things so well, I have never found a hat as good for what I want a hat to do. A good fit is important. Good retention straps are important as well, for me, never found a better system for retention. It even floats, this I know from experience, smile. That bit of padding comes in handy at times too. Takes a licking and keeps on ticking.