That sun is a killer

[AnglingAxeMan]

The Doc is giving me that look and saying "You better stay out of the Sun". Just wonderd if I'm normal or due I have sensitive skin?

I've been fishing for a long time now and have had spots removed from my head x2 and 4 off my sholders, and for all of you that say "0" what kind of sun block due you use?

[Dan]

I always fish with long sleeves no matter how hot and long pants no matter how hot. Always the highest sunblock on any exposed skin.

[Potter]

Right on with the long sleeves!  At least SPF 30 no matter what the brand! 



Potter

[Cheetam]

I always fish with long sleeves no matter how hot and long pants no matter how hot. Always the highest sunblock on any exposed skin.

Me too...

[Dan]

The long sleeves aren't bad if you are fishing with one of the Columbia style vented back fishing shirts. In fact I think they are cooler especially when you dip them in the water when you get really hot.

[djkimmel]

I've only worn shorts outside about 3 times in the last 15 years (and regretted it twice), but I'm a redhead so I get hot, sweat a lot. I'm sensitive to sun and heat both. Even my eyes are more sensitive to bright light.

Because I get so hot, I like to wear short sleeves. I still get burned sometimes. I put on 30 and 50 spf Banana Boat 2 times a day or so. I still can get burned a little.

I don't think we have much of a history of skin cancer in my family though, so that may be saving me - I got fried very bad a number of times as a youngster.

[fishstick]

I had a spot cut off the top of my ear last winter...and I'm 19 I think i spent too many hours fishing without that sunscreen. Needless to say the sunscreen is on all the time now I usually use 30 and put it on a few times a day.

[Hooksetter]

I always wear a long sleeve white Columbia vented shirt and use Banana Boat spf 50. I wear shorts and sandals most of the time, it's just too hot to wear long pants. I make sure I get the tops of my feet twice, they are more sensitive. I also wear a hat.

[smbassman]

I do not like dwelling on this but everyone readying this thread should pay attention and not just blow this sun protection stuff off.  A year and a half ago (Sept. '04) I found out I had Melanoma on my right shoulder.  I had the mole removed and tested and a couple days later my Doc called with the bad news.  I was scheduled for surgery to remove even more skin around the area and a few lymph nodes.  Following that surgery they found the cancer had spread to two of the four lymph nodes so I was now a Stage IIIC cancer patient and the survival rates are extremely depressing to think about.  I went in for another surgery to clean out more lymph nodes(13 more) to be sure it hadn't spread any further.  They were all clean.  The Monday after Thanksgiving '04 I started chemo that includes a month of getting chemo through an IV five days a week for four weeks straight.  I took me almost 6 weeks to get through it because it was so rough on my body and let me tell you, I have never felt more(actually never before) like ending it all than during that session.  The non stop pain from the medicine is something I can not describe.  After finally making it through the "high dose" phase, I started the maintenance phase of taking a shot every mon, wed, fri for the next 11 months.  The shots were not that much better than the IV, but at least it was three times a week instead of 5.  In Dec. of '05 i finally made it through the chemo a couple days before my 30th birthday.

I hate posting this stuff cause I don't want people to think I am whining.  But maybe somebody will realize that this stuff isn't just for old people to worry about, and it isn't always something that can be just shaved off and forgotten about.  Even with the chemo I went through, the chance for the cancer to come back is much greater than not and thousands (~60,000) of people are diagnosed with melanoma each year(and the number is growing every year).

To answer the question above, I wear long sleeve "sun" shirts and pants (40UPF), wear 50spf on exposed skin, and usually wear a boonie style hat.  I have been told that I should not be in the sun, even with this protection, from 10am-3pm, but I cannot give up fishing so it is a risk I am taking.

[Revtro]

smbassman...thanks for sharing your experiences.  We need to hear this stuff since we all spend so much time in the sun.  This is nothing to take lightly.  I had a family member die from Melanoma that began as a simple spot on the leg. 

My practice now is to actually put on SPF 50 before I even leave the house in the AM.  That way, I can't get "too busy" to put it on later.  I've often found myself not thinking about it until I start to feel the heat in the late morning or early afternoon...by then it's too late...I'm gonna be burned.  So now I put it on right after I brush my teeth before I head out to the launch.  That way I can't "forget" to put it on and I don't have to have the scent on my hands when tying lures either. 

I also keep a spray-on SPF 30 on the boat that makes it quick and easy to re-apply to my legs and feet several times a day without getting it on my hands.  And I keep some SPF 30 and 45 Bullfrog that I re-apply to my face and neck throughout the day.   

Take it seriously guys... I had a mole removed last year and it really woke me up to the real dangers. 

PS.  smbassman, I don't think you're complaining at all.  It's good to be reminded of how dangerous the sun is and to be challenged to use a little prevention.  Thanks for sharing and keep your chin up.

[Hooksetter]

smbassman, thanks for your post. I'm hoping that your experience will convince my tournament
partner to wear sun screen. I have been trying to convince him for 10 years but he refuses to wear it. Just about every tournament he gets roasted, sometimes so bad he misses work. Maybe reading about your situation will change his mind.
I apply sun screen before I leave my house. I will not leave until I do, even if I am running late. Its too important.

[AnglingAxeMan]

Thanks for all the comments fellas I told my wife it just wasn't me.

And to SM I'm sure no one thinks your whinning!

I was looking for info and got exactly what I was in search of.
Thanks,
Axeman

[stackenem]

There was a program on the news channel last night that says that the sunscreens are not all what they say they are. They say that the difference between 30spf and 50 spf is about 1% and you should use about 1 oz of sun screen every 2 hours. They said that non of it is waterproof and if you sweat it will go away.

[Dan]

All I know is I burn without it and when I wear it I don't.

[Dropshot]

According to the FDA, a product's SPF (sunscreen protection factor) number tells you how long you can stay in the sun before getting burned. If you can normally stay in the sun 15 minutes before you start turning pink, an SPF 15 product will let you stay in the sun for approximately 3 1/2 hours without burning. If you begin turning pink after 10 minutes, an SPF 15 will let you stay in the sun approximately 2 1/2 hours. The formula is 10 (minutes) x 15(SPF) = 150 (minutes), or 2 1/2 hours. If you're swimming or perspiring, you must wear a water-resistant sunscreen which provides 40 to 80 minutes of protection before you need to reapply it to maintain a sufficient level of protection.


SPF is crucial, but it is only a measurement regarding sunburn (UVB) rays. It is dangerous for your skin to not have UVA protection and many sunscreens do not have ingredients that can provided true full-spectrum (both UVA and UVB) coverage. There are no numbers to tell you about protection from UVA radiation. For that protection you have to check the active ingredient list to see if either zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, avobenzone (which may also be listed as Parsol 1789 or butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane), Mexoryl SX, or Tinosorb (Mexoryl SX and Tinosorb are only available in products sold outside the US). If one of those isn't part of the active ingredient list (it doesn't count if it is just part of the regular or "other" ingredients) you are not applying adequate UVA protection and that is dangerous for your skin.