Sport Today

One of you recommended a sunscreen called P-20 (? available only in  
Ireland?).  Has it not been approved in the U.S.?  What about lycra
body suits?  Are these too hot?  Do people wear gloves?  What kind?    
What's the best solution some of you have come up with to avoid sunburn?  

Thanks in advance,
Denise

the lycra suits are not hot - quite the contrary, they tend to cool a bit (by water evaporation, aka: phase change cooling).  (if you find lycra too cooling, there's similar polyproplene suits.)  in conjunction with my lycra suit i also wear brim'd hat with neck flap (as popularized in Lawrence of Arabia), as well as 'shoes', and gloves when needed.  the whole set-up looks fairly geeky.  (i suppose you could "improve" the look w/a pocket protector & a complete set of colored pens!  ;-)  bottom line, especi

ally as skin cancer runs in my family; i *prefer* the geeky look rather than post melanoma surgical scars.

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Hi,

I'm, also, a red head.  I've burned all my life (and I grew up in the
deserts of Tucson, AZ).  I now sail in the Gorge and use Aloe Gator SPF 40
sunscreen.  It is truly waterproof.  It's greasy, but it works.  I would
do a testimonial for them.  I've tried Bullfrog and won't use it again.  I
got burned, literally.  I started using Aloe Gator when I lived in
southern California and was told that the Ornge County lifeguards all used
it.  If you're going to be out in the sun all day, it's probably best to
reapply after four hours, because it can get rubbed off on your board,
etc.  I spent a week in Corpus Cristi this spring and did not wear a
wetsuit.  If I was careful and reapplied it once during the day, I was
fine.

Nothing wrong with lycra or polypro or hats, either. :-)

Good luck,
Dallas

   I'm, also, a red head.  I've burned all my life (and I grew up in the
   deserts of Tucson, AZ).  I now sail in the Gorge and use Aloe Gator SPF 40
   sunscreen.  It is truly waterproof.  It's greasy, but it works.  I would
   do a testimonial for them.  I've tried Bullfrog and won't use it again.  I
   got burned, literally.  I started using Aloe Gator when I lived in
   southern California and was told that the Ornge County lifeguards all used
   it.  If you're going to be out in the sun all day, it's probably best to
   reapply after four hours, because it can get rubbed off on your board,
   etc.  I spent a week in Corpus Cristi this spring and did not wear a
   wetsuit.  If I was careful and reapplied it once during the day, I was
   fine.

No sunscreen is the magic trick for Carribean sun, I have gotten
second-degree burns when I didn't reapply aloegater enough.
Especially on the first couple days, reapply at least twice during the
day when you are dry and stay out of the water for the next 15 minutes
to let the stuff sink in.  Also don't think about how expensive the
stuff is when applying, bring along a half-dozen tubes for your week
vacation and lay it on thick.  I have a lycra outfit I bring along in
case I get too much sun one day, lets you get back on the water the
next day without getting additional sun.

We've tried a lot of brands.  Make sure you use a waterproof kind.
The three I have had good luck with are AloeGator, Neutrogena, and
Bannana Boat.  Aloegater is pretty hard to find here in Baltimore and
on the east coast in general.  Its hard to apply but after awhile you
get the hang of it.  Neutrogena is expensive and smells to me like
fuel oil.  It also can be hard to find.  Bannana boat is what I'm
using now, it goes on like normal lotion and feels good on the body,
no greased-pig syndrome.  I have had problems with skin irritation
from the other "lotion" brands like Coppertone and Hawaiian Tropic
sport formulas, so I don't use them.

Scott

If you dress in neck to toe lycra, you'll be wearing the uniform of all
the doctors I go sailing with in the Caribbean each winter.  That is the
best way to protect against the intense UV near the equator.  

But I think you can trust the sunscreens which state they are 6- or 8-hour
waterproof to cover the parts inevitably exposed. .  They really do stay
on and work that long, in my experience and in the studies in Consumer
Reports.

Bill

If the wind blows, that is.

Denise
UT Austin

Pro Tech makes it, and I further modified it for better forehead
protection. My high forehead (a sign of intelligence, you know; IT HAS
NOTHING TO DO WITH AGE) really needs protection.

You've now guessed the helmet and face guard part, but the really
effective addition is the motorcycle helmet visor zip-tied to the face
guard. Without that blinding sun in my eyes and reflecting back from my
sunglasses I can see far better, and can sail with both hands rather than
holding one hand above my eyes in the reaches.

Oh, you don't wear a helmet? Well, that was beaten to death a few weeks
ago. Try a cap. You'll be surprised how much better you can see with your
eyes shaded, and the destruction of your lens, retinas, and forehead will
be delayed by years.
Mike |-)