I have lived in the South my entire life. I love the sun but have never intentionally wanted a suntan. My German/ Irish skin has very little sun protection built in.
Most of my body has stayed protected except my face and arms .
I’m still recovering from my latest visit to the dermatologist; the fastest liquid nitrogen sprayer in the town. At least this time, there were no scalpels involved.
I was just in the yard throwing a toy for the dog and my forearm hit my folding chair. It peeled a quarter sized chunk of skin almost off. Really nasty looking but I know how to keep from losing most of the skin.
The point is if you think being tanned is cool, protect yourself as best you can.
Chunks of skin peeling off are not attractive.
I enjoy seeing mostly naked young women in boats and on paddle boards , but I can’t remember why. I just hope all that skin is protected.
Sun exposure is not good for any of us and living in the north there is no building a tan year round. You get some without trying each summer but over the winter it is gone and you get to burn again the next spring if not careful.
I’m 66 and as a kid there was little advice and very little in the way of sun blocking products most where used to enhance the suns rays if anything. Lifeguards had some thick white stuff they used on their nose and that was about it.
I later read if you have fair skin double your risk, blond hair double, blue eyes double, and for each burn before the age of 16 double. I remember thinking I’m so screwed. Like you I watch my skin and have a few taken off as soon as they surface.
Today’s world is much different and there is really no reason for our little ones or any of us to not use these amazing SPF products they have today They really work great and I wish my parents would have had them and made us use them.
Good thread and a good annual warning is a good thing. We lost a family member 4 years ago to skin cancer and he was a young 40 with two young daughters. You can’t be too careful.
Good advice, string. Melanoma can be very cruel.
Hate the sun. Protect your eyes too from UV. Even clear glass are a protection from UV.
Always paddle with hat, long sleeves, gloves, and sunscreen.
I grew up on the water. I had an outdoor career. I live at 5,000 feet.
Now trips to the dermatologist are scary. Five skin cancer surgeries and two for melanoma.
Boaters are especially vulnerable. Long sleeves, hat with a brim, long pants, and sunscreen.
For multiple day trips, light gloves and a face covering. Sun glasses.
In the early days we did not know better. We liked being tan. We got burned a few times in the beginning of the year. Now we know a lot better.
The last two years are the only time in my life I can remember not getting sun burned at all.
I hope the kids are paying attention.
I see a lot of them heading out in swimsuits and coming back doing a fine impression of a cooked lobster.
Not me. Long sleeves, long pants, wide brim hat, gloves, sunglasses. These lobster people ask me if I’m hot all bundled up like that. When I tell them “Nope.” they’re really surprised when I tell them I’m cooler because the fabric is like my own personal portable shade.
I have lived in Florida for a long time.
Way back we would mix baby oil and iodine as suntan lotion. More like sunburn lotion. That was a few squamish cell operations ago.
I still believe in a base tan, not the vampire white I see so much nowadays.
I believe in the base tan because accidents catch you off guard. Going to the grocery for three items usually does not mean lathering with sunscreen, but a small accident there will leave you standing in the sun for four hours.
I don’t want to be torched by that.
So many clammers on Long Island bays were riddled with skin cancer from the era when people didn’t know better before 1970’s. Ears, nose, lips, arms, skin everywhere. On the water 7-8 he. a day 5+ days a week. Reflection from the water too.
We didn’t know any better and are paying the price.
Young people know better today and still are going to pay the price.
The other bad news from sun exposure is Macular Degeneration (MD) which effects the eyes. My Mom never wore sun glasses on the boat. For the last ten years of her life she had injections in her eyes.
If you are outdoors wear sunscreen. I put it on every day. Try to learn to wear a hat. Sunglasses are important, especially without a hat, on the water, and at high elevations.
Nice reminders. I dont know how effective SF rated lip sunscreen is at protection, but I do feel the difference if I forget to use it.
Anyone have good recommendations for lightweight full-fingered paddling gloves that don’t wrinkle and twist? I really like my Hydroskin gloves but they’re a bit warm this time of year.
Just bought spray on sunscreen SPF 100 . Easy to apply and reapply. Friend just got melanoma and it has spread to his lymph nodes. bricklayers do get it from sun most of their life. He’s 54 much younger than me. I always kokatat hat, gloves & long sleeve shirts paddling . Never was big on sun. Probably could have done more most of my life. Look what sun does to plastics we don’t stand a chance.
I use SPF fingerless fishing gloves. Good comprise for me in that the exposed fingertips allow me a better grip on the paddle (when needed) but still minimize exposure as the curled fingers around the paddle shaft get much less exposure.
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I haven’t found good ones. Now I paddle until I have built in gloves.
I have a couple of pairs of the NRS thin stretch nylon gloves (both full fingered and half) and like them. They do run large so you need to try them on in a stiore or order smaller than you would normally expect to wear to bet a snug fit…
Do they have to be full fingered? Reason l ask is rigging gloves for sailboats. They last longer in my experience than regular paddling gloves, but this time of year may mostly be 3/4 length fingers. A bit longer than equivalent paddling gloves on how long the fingers are.
Can also get them full fingered, just may be easierblater in year.
Mainly to have an option when paddling distance and to get full sun protection. I have NRS half-finger gloves that I wear quite a bit but haven’t found full-fingered lightweight gloves that I like.
Try Gill rigging gloves, can order them thru West Marine or Hamilton Marine, when they show up. May be available now. But on a cell phone so not great at pasting links.