Tips Surf / Practical sheets
Sun protection, the experts' advice: the doctor
THE DOCTOR'S ADVICE:
Doctor Guillaume Barucq.
GP.
Author of a thesis on surfing-related pathologies.
Author of the Surfers' Survival Guide / Surfez en toute sécurité (Safe Surfing).
Editor of the surfing health website www.surf-prevention.com
What is the best sun protection for doing water sports? Why?
Dr Barucq: Water sports enthusiasts are among the sports people who receive the most sun exposure: they directly expose their skin to the sun's light because they spend large amounts of time outside with few clothes. Furthermore, water reflects up to 30% of the sun's UV rays (15% for sand). When we do a water sport in a swimsuit, the best protection for the upper body is undoubtedly the sun protection rash vest. For practical reasons, it is much easier to wear a top than sun cream for protecting this part of the body.
Surfers and bodyboarders paddle lying down: sun cream on the torso is therefore very uncomfortable and makes them slide around on their board. It also increases the risk of falling off. It is difficult to correctly apply suncream on your back without help of a friend under a sunshade or UV shelter for example.
How much more effective is a rash vest top than a normal cotton t-shirt?
Dr Barucq: Not all fabrics offer the same kind of sun protection. A simple T-shirt offers poorer protection than a good quality top. A light coloured T-shirt will protect less well, especially when wet. The closer the fabric weave, the more sun protection it offers: this is the case for specific sun protection tops. Look for a top where the UV protection factor (SPF) is clearly shown. The SPF should really be at least 40.
Remember that your sun protection top also protects you on cloudy days, especially when the UV index given on weather forecasts is high.
Is it just children who should wear a sun protection top while doing one of these sports?
Dr Barucq: We emphasize the importance of children wearing tops because they have fragile skin. Children are often exposed to the sun without protection. It is thought that up to 80% of the UV rays a person is exposed to during their lifetime will happen before the age of 18. Childhood sunburn increases the risk of one day contracting skin cancer.
But people of all ages should protect themselves from the sun, as the effect of UV rays is cumulative.
Dr Barucq: The top prevents rashes caused by the body rubbing against the bodyboard or surfboard. These rashes can occur from the very first time a top is not worn.
They appear as redness then as small sores that heal slowly if exposure to the rubbing and the seawater continues. The top can also be worn underneath a wetsuit and can prevent rashes caused by seams. A long-sleeved top protects the forearms and can be worn underneath a full-body suit.
