I get the same burn(?) just above my wrist wearing an spf50 long sleeve top. Only appears after paddling and never if I’m just outside in the sun. This year it also appeared on my other arm. I get it even if I spray both arms with spf50 first. It goes away after several days if I’m not paddling.
Interesting comments. Thanks for posting. Do you know why cotton might be considered a bad choice for UV protection? I’m curious. I would guess that it has more to do with the tightness of the weave (I think kayamedic made this comment) than the material itself but I don’t know. To my knowledge I’ve never gotten burned through a shirt of any kind and I’ve spent a lot of time in the sun, although I’ve gotten better about using sunscreen as well as protective clothing on high impact areas like top of forearms, wrists, ears, back of neck.
As I’ve gotten older, my paddling is more focused on comfort, rather than things like speed. This applies to my clothing, as well as my boat.
My smarter half discovered a company called Arctic Cool, which bragged that the unique material they use, cools you off, the more you sweat. I was skeptical, as I’ve heard such claims from other companies, but I gave them a shot.
In Florida, it’s hot most of the year, and this company did not disappoint. Now days, I wear their pants, and long sleeve shirts, and it feels like I’m wearing air conditioning. I also wear NRS gray neoprene zip on boots, a wide brim hat from Real Deal Brazil, and carry an Arctic Cool cooling cloth, which I wet, and drape over my head, under my hat, as needed.
No, I am not affiliated with either Arctic Cool, NRS, or Real Deal Brazil.
2 Likes
Greyheron and Mowog73 mentioned above the Columbia PFG Omni Shade shirts. I picked one up a little over a week ago and it works great. SPF 50 sun protection, comfortable on hot days, quick drying, and they can be found on Amazon for around $30.
3 Likes
A buddy swears by Vapor Apparel SPF50 quick dry shirt with a hoodie. I have passed on it for several months, but about a week ago mentioned a nice sale the company was having if he ordered 3 so I told him to order me one. He gave it to me earlier today and I used it on a very sunny 14 mile paddle. Sure was nice to have protection on the back of my head/neck where a floppy hat or ball cap doesn’t cover…and it cooled nicely when wet.
Here’s a link if anyone is interested:
And the sale price for 3 is still going on at the website a few minutes b4 this post.
I was wondering the same thing about cotton; this site has some interesting info that looks reliable. As you surmised, weave is a factor and cotton is not ruled out but it would need to be something like tightly woven denim (my last choice for paddling!). I’m guessing a light comfortable cotton t shirt wouldn’t do it. If you noodle around the site they have recommended brands certified by this organization, including Vapor and Columbia mentioned by other posters (though I’m sure there are loads of other products that don’t seek their certification). Sun Protective Clothing - The Skin Cancer Foundation
I want to thank everyone that contributed to this thread. People’s comments prompted me to do more reading and I’m making changes to my sun protection strategy based on everyone’s recommendations. I also have a great excuse to buy a few “cool” shirts. 
2 Likes
You don’t overheat if you know how to keep cool. Air temp 90F and water temp 44F, it’s easy to keep cool. We have an entire section on our web site that walks you through the concept. Plus a video that demonstrates the technique. Being able to keep warm in cold weather and cool in hot weather are fundamental skills for anyone recreating in the outdoors. See my comment above and … Go here: https://www.coldwatersafety.org/hot-weather
1 Like