yilishabai

Does anyone know how I can get cheap long sleeve high neck shirts and tight pants to prevent sunburn during snorkeling. Rash guards and swim tights are so expensive for four people. We will be spending A LOT of time snorkeling (ie - burn time!) Also, how do you know if your sunblock is reef safe (biodegradable)?

girlonthego

In the past, we have purchased the snorkel shirts from Costco. I have not seen them this year though. I think buying a shirt is an excellent idea. It does cut back on sunlotion usuage. It also protects the back very well. We have never used pants before. We all prefer the short sleeved shirts to the long sleeved ones. Most children's departments will have the kids' sized shirts for kids to match bathing suits.
Sorry can't help on biodegradeable sun lotion. I would say that the thick creamy ones probably tend to come off in the water somewhat. The thinner ones seem to go right into your skin.

AlwaysDreamin

I say, go ahead an splurge. We find the "under armour" type shirts on sale at Academy Sports periodically, maybe you'll get lucky. Or try the Wal-mart brand. You will not regret it. We use these shirts every time we snorkel, which is quite a bit. NOt only do they keep us from getting sunburned, but they are so much better than "normal" shirts. They dry in a snap, which is important, and you can re-wear them over and over without them getting dirty.

KVR

There are several places on the internet to buy biodegradable sunscreen. Just Google and many sites will come up. I've not seen any in local stores. I have seen some when we actually got to our vacation destination and they were very expensive. Almost double for what you can order.

joan

Be sure to apply the sunscreen at least fifteen minutes before you enter the water. This gives it time to absorb so it will not come off in the water. Kudos to you for thinking of those reefs! And remember, no standing on the coral!

Robert59

Tap in "Tan in a Tank" on yahoo or in google; it offers genuine scuba and snorkeling sunscreen that protects the reefs. Whatever brand you purchase that claims it's biodegradable, make sure the contents do not contain oil; it must be oil free, paba free, and biodegradable. The brand Hawaiin Tropic sunscrean is labelled as biodegradeable, oil free and PABA free. Still, I wonder how many tourists are not so conscious of the reef systems and shower after basking in the sun in the showers. There must be buckets full of suncreen laden with oil, etc. that flows into the reefs. I hope all resorts have their own water filtration systems to prevent this. Robert 59

ScubaMom

Call your local scuba shop and ask about Lyrca "skins"... they are full sized dive suits from neck to ankles made of very thin lycra. Both hubby and I have used these for years to snorkel and they were perfect. Most aren't expensive, or if your dive shop's ARE, get on the internet and order one. They can be $30 and under.

The thing a lot of people don't realize is that a shirt doesn't protect the backs of your legs! These protect everything.

Robert59

Amen ScubaMom; I found out about NOT protecting the back of my legs after snorkeling all day. Nothing worse, for some reason, when the back of the calfs are sunburned. A cotton T-shirt worked fine and I wear long swim trunks that cover the thighs. Robert59

lt20

Be careful of using a cotton t-shirt, most don't provide much protection and get so heavy and take forever to dry. Under Armour is great (even Starter brand from Walmart) or Old Navy and Target now have "surf" shirts that work well too.

Sheryl

I bought Rit Sun Guard a few years ago. It's supposed to add sun protection to clothes. You just throw it into your laundry cycle, and I think it's supposed to last 20 wach cycles, so that might be helpful if you already have the shirts and pants. Just search for it on the web.

ejcrowe

Can anybody confirm if the "all-natural" sunblock made by W. S. Badger (makers of Badgerbalm and other products) is reef-friendly?

If not, if I call the company and inquire about PABA, oil, and biodegradability, will that be clear? Or is there anything else I should inquire about?

Thanks!

yilishabai

Thanks everybody! Girlonthego - Why do you prefer short sleeve? Does everyone else agree?

girlonthego

I had a long sleeve one and I am not swimming every minute. So, it was dry. I felt warm sitting in the sun on the beach. The short sleeve one was more comfortable.

I also think the kids think the short sleeve ones look cooler.

Aruba was very hot and sunny being so close to the equator. The kids did have the long sleeve ones there. I found one daughter was always pushing up the sleeves.
By wearing the shirts, you really cut back on the amount of sunscreen you have to lather on. I never really thought about the enviromental concerns, but it is quite costly when you are putting it on continously! Very good of you to think of the reef.

Tuxedocat

I bought a long sleeve one for my daughter and she has come to love it because it minimizes the time mom spends fussing with the sunscreen.

andrew8

This shirt from Patagonia will work really well as its a SPF-30.
I just bought one for myself.
http://www.patagonia.com/web/us/prod...30-155&ws=